


Grass Is Always Greener

by PriinceMarth



Category: Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Fire Emblem: Shin Monshō no Nazo | Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-11 01:12:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3310313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PriinceMarth/pseuds/PriinceMarth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU. Cain’s past comes back to haunt him and he does his best to keep his new boyfriend, Abel, uninvolved and safe. Tw: sexual themes and violence. Story complete!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

“Nice shot, asshole.”

The sarcastic comment reached Cain’s ears not two seconds after the basketball slipped from his fingertips. The redhead grimaced as he watched the ball sail through the air. He glanced to his right; sitting on a low wall was Marth, the source of the comment. Next to him sat Caeda, leaning back on her hands with her legs crossed. A pink bubble of gum formed from her lips, popping loudly when it got to be about the size of a baseball.

The court wasn’t more than a small open area with a single goal on one end. To Cain’s right was the edge of the park, marked by the short concrete wall that his two companions were sitting on. To his left was a wide path, but rarely did he ever see anyone traveling on it. Today, however, a single person was walking leisurely, his gaze wandering towards the large fountain in the center of the park that was visible even from the very edge.

As Cain watched, the basketball soared towards the basket. The shot had been too low and off-center; instead of swishing through the net, it bounced off the side of the rim. Following it with his eyes, he realized that the ball was on a collision course with the man who had stopped on the path with his back to the court. “Hey, watch out!” He yelled, but it was in vain.

The green-haired man on the path turned, just in time to be nailed in the head by the flying basketball. He stumbled backwards and fell, landing hard on his elbows.

Raising his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, Cain jogged over to where the passer-byer was. “Jeeze, sorry, are you okay?” He offered his hand.

The fallen man looked at it for a moment, confused, before he finally raised his own hand. Cain took it in a strong grip and pulled him upwards to his feet. A large red mark on the right of his forehead stood out against his dark complexion. He stared at Cain with bright green eyes and a dazed expression. “Am I dead?”

Cain laughed. “Nah, you can’t get out of this town that easily. Seriously though, you might want to put some ice on that.” He motioned towards the mark. “There’s some guys up the path selling drinks if you want to try asking them. Hope you’ve got a couple bucks though. Those assholes would charge you for breathing their air, if they could.”

The stranger smiled at his joke, and Cain took that to mean he’d be fine. However, as the man took a step forward he stumbled. Cain instinctively reached out and caught him by the shoulders, stopping him from face-planting into the ground.

“Hey, be careful,” he warned. “Ice can’t fix a broken nose.” Although his voice was a bit stern, the redhead grinned. “Shall I carry you?”

Blushing furiously, his face red with embarrassment, the stranger shook his head and laughed awkwardly. “That’s alright. But, uh, could you point me in the direction of the… what’s it called…” He hesitated. “You know, what you just said, the water squares.”

“… Ice?” Cain raised one eyebrow.

“That’s the word,” he nodded.

Another laugh escaped Cain’s lips, and he decided he liked this guy. “Come on, I’ll walk with you to get those water squares.”

* * *

 

They sat at a picnic table near the edge of the area, away from the families that were scattered about. The green-haired man held a small bag of ice to his forehead; the cold felt nice against the hot summer day.

“You feeling alright?” Cain asked. The stranger nodded, but Cain wasn’t convinced. “A small test, then. What’s your name? What country are we in? How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Abel, Altea, and three, respectively.” He fired back answers as quickly as Cain shot the questions.

The redhead grinned. “Not bad, but you’re not off the hook yet. What color is my hair? What day is it? How many stars are in the sky?”

“Red, Friday, and… at least four.” Abel answered with a straight face.

Cain paused for a moment, and then found himself cracking up at the last answer paired with the serious look. “Well,” he said finally. “You’re not wrong.”

Deep dimples formed in his cheeks as Abel flashed a charming grin at him, showing off incredibly white teeth that contrasted his dark complexion. “You haven’t yet told me who you are,” he mentioned.

“Oh, right.” Cain quickly introduced himself. He offered his hand and Abel chuckled as he shook it in a firm grip, finding the needless formality amusing.

“So, it looks like you won’t be joining the NBA anytime soon,” the green-haired man joked, referencing the failed basketball shot.

“Haha, yeah,” Cain laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Sorry again about that. Listen, is there anything I can do to make it up to you? ‘Sorry’ doesn’t really seem to cut it.”

“Let me take you to dinner.” Abel leaned his elbows on the small picnic table, his bright green eyes looking at Cain curiously to gauge his reaction.

“Huh?” The redhead blinked in confusion. “Like, a date?”

Abel laughed. “If you want it to be.”

Cain felt himself blushing. Sure, he’d thought this guy was cute— _those dimples!—_ but he never expected him to actually make a move. “I should be the one taking you, then,” he pointed out. “Is your head feeling better?”

“It’s fine.” Abel lowered the ice pack from his head and offered it to Cain. “Your cheeks are looking a bit red,” he teased. Cain swatted it away as if he was annoyed, but a wide grin was on his face.

They talked only for a little while longer, exchanging numbers and parting with promises of seeing each other again soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

“How do I look?”

Marth glanced up from the newspaper he had been skimming as he lay comfortably on the couch in Cain’s tiny apartment. “Where are you taking him, again?”

“That little Italian place off of 4th Street, it’s pretty casual.” Cain shrugged his shoulders and then quickly straightened his jacket.

“So… You’re wearing a tuxedo?” The amusement in his voice was obvious.

Cain threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Well, dammit Marth, I’ve never been on a date before where I actually wanted to _impress_ someone.”

“Take that off, you look like a dork.” Marth set the papers down and stood up. He reached out to ruffle up Cain’s greasy hair, and effectively covered his hand in what was about a half-bottle worth of gel. “Gross. Take another shower, preferably not entirely in aftershave this time. I’ll pick you something decent to wear. Hurry, though.”

Cain smiled sheepishly. “Where would I be without you?”

“Still here at 7:30 when your date starts,” Marth answered with a roll of his eyes, but he returned the smile.

As Cain stepped back into the bathroom, Marth opened the door to the closet where any decent clothes should be hanging, and then immediately closed it; Cain was the type of guy that would hang up his hoodies and try to fold a dress shirt. Walking over to the dresser, he yanked open the top drawer. He thumbed through a couple of t-shirts before finding a slightly crumpled button-down at the bottom of the pile. Pulling it out, he shook it out in the air to straighten it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t badly wrinkled, despite obviously being shoved in the dresser without care.

Tossing it on the couch for Cain to see when he got out, Marth moved to the second drawer of the small dresser. Even a nice pair of jeans would do, and he groaned internally as he saw the options. Eventually he found a decent-looking pair, and he threw it over his shoulder to land on the couch next to the shirt. Closing the middle drawer, he hesitated for a moment. Wondering if there would be any better options in the lowest drawer, he knelt down on one knee to open it to investigate.

All he found was a poorly folded blanket, and he frowned. He lifted it up to see if there was anything underneath it, and realized it was clunky, as if it was wrapped around something. Frowning, he slowly unraveled it, and his breath caught in his throat as he realized what it was. The ghost of a gun lay hidden in the blanket; it was obviously missing some parts and was most likely unusable, but the shell clearly gave away what it was.

Marth scowled, silently cursing Cain’s stubbornness. Any type of firearm had been illegal in the country for years, in a surprisingly successful attempt to stop the rampant violence; manufacturing one was unthinkable and obtaining one was all but impossible. But here, in Cain’s small studio apartment, was the shell of one of the deadliest guns to ever be used. Even worse, Marth recognized the gun, and knew exactly where Cain had gotten it. To think, he had kept it, even after what had happened, even with such a risk…

The blue-haired man slammed the drawer shut as he heard the water in the shower turn off. Now wasn’t the time to confront Cain, and he didn’t want Cain to know that he had found it. With a sigh, he knocked on the bathroom door with his fist. “Don’t put anything in your hair,” he yelled.

The response was a loud groan and the sound of water turning back on.

* * *

 

Cain glanced at his watch as he jogged towards the front of the small restaurant where he was supposed to have met with Abel ten minutes ago. He easily weaved through the crowded sidewalk, earning strange looks from passer-byers. It would have been faster to drive, but finding a spot to park on a Friday in the crowded area would have taken longer than if he had leisurely walked all the way there.

Finally reaching the entrance, he paused to catch his breath. Opening the door to the restaurant, he nodded a polite hello to the hostess before glancing around the crowded area. He spotted Abel in a small booth near the back, and casually slid into the seat.

Abel glanced up when he felt the booth gently shake as Cain sat, then smiled and straightened his posture. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten.”

“Forget? No way,” Cain laughed. _I haven’t been able to think of anything except this all afternoon, but it would probably be weird to say that_ , he thought. _It’s just a date, calm down._ He could faintly smell the scent of Abel’s cologne, and the way his soft-looking hair fell showed simple but elegant care. Cain wondered if the green-haired man was nervous as well; if he was, he was doing a fantastic job of hiding it.

They chatted for a while, and the conversation flowed easily. Although he’d started off rather stiff, Cain began to relax the more they talked, and he was so absorbed in their conversation that he almost didn’t notice the presence of someone standing next to their table.

“Ohmigosh. Cain? What a coincidence!” The loud, familiar voice yanked Cain out of his little date bubble, and he felt his heart sink. _Oh Gods. Not now._

“Hey, Catria,” he forced a weak smile, looking up to see the blue-haired woman hovering over them.

Without an invitation, she plopped onto the booth next to Cain, pushing him over with her shoulder to make more room. “How have you _been_?” She gushed.

“Catria, it’s nice to see you, but I’m uh… Well, a bit busy at the moment,” Cain rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, casting an apologetic glance towards Abel.

Catria followed his gaze and finally seemed to notice Abel’s presence. “Oh!” She burst out. “Hey, I know you! You’re, what was it, Aiden, right?”

“Abel,” he corrected her flatly.

Cain looked between them in confusion. He had dated Catria a couple years back, but not for very long. It was obvious that she’d never really gotten over him, and always tended to linger whenever they ran into each other. He was about to ask how they knew each other when Catria began to speak again.

“That’s _right_!” She squeaked. “You’re the one Est had that big crush on! Whatever happened between you two, anyway?” She winked at him.

“She got mad and left when I told her that her hair was straighter than me.”

Cain couldn’t stifle his laughter in time, and he earned himself a harsh glare from Catria. She looked back and forth between them, and finally seemed to understand what she had intruded on. “Ohmigosh, you guys are on a _date_! Remember our first date, Cain?” She nudged him on the arm.

“Catria, please,” Cain felt his face going red. “Don’t do this to me.”

“I’d like to hear about it,” Abel joined in, an amused smirk on his face.

“We went to the lake, it was so _romantic_ ,” the blue-haired chatterbox continued. “At least it _was_ , until this big lug started panicking. And I was like, Cain what’s wrong? And he was like, Oh my God, that’s a duck. A duck!” She laughed loudly and punched Cain on the arm. “We had to leave because there was a cute little family of ducks and _someone_ kept insisting they were coming closer.”

Cain covered his reddening face with his hands, completely mortified.

“Ducks?” Abel couldn’t hide his amusement.

“Ducks, man… They’re creepy, right?” Cain tried to laugh off his embarrassment.

Catria laughed at Cain’s expense for a moment longer. “I should go see how Palla’s doing,” she said eventually. “She’s _finally_ seeing someone. Do you know how _hard_ it is to find a date for an asexual? The guy seems alright, but we’ll see. Anyway, it was _so_ good to see you, Cain!” She leaned in to give him a smack on the cheek, and he leaned away, not-so-subtly avoiding her smooch. She made a frustrated noise and punched him on the shoulder again instead, before sliding out of out of the booth and dashing off to ruin someone else’s dinner. “I’ll be right back after checking on Palla!” She called the words over her shoulder.

_Perish the thought._ Cain’s face still matched the redness of his hair. “What a disaster,” he mumbled to himself, glancing upwards to see how Abel was reacting.

To his surprise, Abel appeared to be having trouble stifling laughter, and he hid a smile behind his hand. “They’re an interesting bunch, aren’t they?” Cain’s dejected nod sparked more laughter. “Why don’t we get out of here before she comes back?”

“Please,” Cain accepted his offer immediately. He pulled out his wallet and tucked some money underneath one of the empty plates before standing to leave.

He held the door open for Abel as they stepped into the warm summer night. The time had passed quickly; Cain hadn’t realized how late it was, and the sky was dark. The nearly empty streets were a far cry from the rush from earlier, and the silent atmosphere was a pleasant change from the busy restaurant noise.

Cain smoothed out his shirt that had rumpled slightly from sitting. For the first time that night, there was an awkward silence between them, as they both hovered without knowing what to say. The redhead was reluctant to go, and he silently cursed Catria for cutting their date short. “This was fun,” he said finally, but he couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Abel angled his body towards Cain and smiled. “You don’t have to go so soon.” He had picked up on the redhead’s lingering tone. “Would you like to visit for some tea?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Cain grinned, eager for the opportunity to spend more time with Abel.

They walked to Abel’s nearby apartment without making much conversation. This time there was no awkward atmosphere, as the monotonous night sounds filled the air.

* * *

 

Abel opened the door to his flat, and Cain looked around in awe as he stepped in. The simplicity of it was astonishing, and it was a lot more modern than his own tiny studio apartment. The living room was spotless, and Cain felt a twinge of embarrassment as he remembered the disastrous state he had left his home in before racing out for the evening.

“Make yourself at home,” the green-haired man said as he quietly shut the door. As Cain sat on one of the loveseats that surrounded a small coffee table, Abel made long strides towards the kitchen. "How do you like your tea?”

“Surprise me,” Cain answered, and Abel chuckled and shrugged.

The redhead leaned back on the couch, and settled his arm on top of the armrest; it was soft. He felt a small vibration in his pocket, and pulled out his mobile to see that Marth had sent him a text. Glancing up, he made sure Abel was still busy before checking his phone.

_“hows it going? is he a serial killer or nah”_

“its great, he’s making tea”

_“making tea?? where are u”_

“in his apartment”

_“getting that D?”_

Cain stared at his phone for a moment. As if realizing for the first time what had actually happened, he felt a blush rise to his face. He had accepted an invitation to Abel’s apartment without really thinking about what it implied. Before he could respond to Marth’s text, Abel stepped into the living room with two cups in his hands. Cain slipped the phone back into his pocket, hoping that his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

Abel handed him the cup and he took it with a quick nod of thanks. To his surprise, Abel sat next to him on the loveseat instead of across on the other couch; it was a small couch, and their shoulders were nearly touching.

Not minding the closeness at all, Cain raised the teacup to his lips and took a small sip. His eyes widened at the taste. “Wow, this is great,” he complimented Abel. The tea was warm, and had just enough additions to make it slightly sweet.

“‘A good meal means nothing without a good drink’,” Abel quoted sarcastically. “Or, so I’m taught. Honestly, I think you can wash down anything with water. My real specialty is with food.”

“Oh yeah, you’re a chef, aren’t you?” Cain remembered.

“That’s right.” The green-haired man nodded and took a sip of his tea. “With all the taste-testing, you’d think I’d be chubbier.”

Cain grinned. “See, I can carry and deliver eight dishes on my arms with ease, but the moment you let me touch an ingredient, it turns inedible. You’re talking to the guy that can burn pasta—actually _burn_ it, until the edges are black. I didn’t even know that was possible!”

They laughed together loudly, and continued to talk, even long after their teacups were empty. After a while, Cain noticed that Abel’s words in their quiet conversation had begun to slow. Feeling a sudden weight on his shoulder, he realized that Abel was leaning against him. Eventually, the replies stopped coming, and Cain could tell by the steady chest movements that Abel had fallen asleep. His heart pounded as he looked down at the green-haired man’s resting face, and he felt a bit embarrassed to think that it was quite adorable. Glancing at his watch, he was shocked to see that it was nearly 2 in the morning.

His own eyes were feeling a bit droopy. _I’ll only rest my eyes for a few minutes,_ he promised himself, knowing full well it was a lie. _Then I’ll wake Abel and leave._

* * *

 

The next thing Cain knew, he was blinking himself awake as light shined in on his face from the window. Disoriented, his body was stiff, and he forgot for a moment where he was. What had happened? He remember Abel bringing out the tea, they were talking, and then… They must have stayed up so late that they just collapsed on the couch.

During the night he had sprawled out across the whole couch, and Abel was laying on top of him. He had his arms wrapped around Cain’s torso, and he was using the redhead’s chest as a pillow.

“Abel, wake up,” Cain murmured, gently shaking the green-haired man’s shoulder. “It’s morning.”

“Mmph.” Abel made an incoherent noise, but didn’t move.

Cain couldn’t help but smile. He was about to gently lift Abel so he could sit up when he felt a long vibration in his pocket. Wondering who the hell would be calling him this early, he reached down to answer.

“Hello?” He mumbled sleepily, holding the phone to his ear with one hand and using the other one to play with Abel’s messy hair.

_“Cain? Where the hell are you?”_ It was Marth, sounding worried.

“I’m still with Abel,” the redhead responded, keeping his voice down. “What’s wrong?”

_“Don’t go home. There’s guys outside your building again.”_

The smile faded from his face. “How many?”

_“Listen, Cain, just wait it out. Trust me on this, okay?”_

“… Okay.” Something in Marth’s voice made it clear to Cain that he shouldn’t argue, and he reluctantly agreed.

As the phone clicked off, Abel stirred. “Oh, sorry, I must have drifted off.” He covered his mouth to hide a wide yawn. “What time is it?” He asked groggily.

Cain glanced at his watch before answering.  “Almost 9AM.”

Abel stared at him. “You’re kidding,” he said finally, but the sunlight seeping in through the window did not lie. As if only just realizing that he was laying on top of Cain, the dark complexion of his cheeks gained a faint red tint, and he sat up quickly.

They were still fully dressed, and not much time passed before they were standing in front of the door. Facing each other, an awkward silence emerged as they both hesitated to say goodbye. Cain felt his heart pounding in his chest as he stole glances downwards towards the other’s lips, wanting to lean in, but unsure if he should. Before he could decide, Abel made the first move, and he leaned forward slowly to plant a gentle kiss on Cain’s lips.

His confliction disappeared, all he could think of at that moment was how soft Abel’s lips felt against his. Too soon, the green-haired man broke away; the redhead leaned forward, craving more, but Abel put a finger to Cain’s lips, stopping him.

“Not yet,” he teased. “You’ve got to have something to look forward to for next time, right?” Cain pouted, and Abel let out a short laugh. “Don’t give me that sad puppy look… Alright, just one more.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: This chapter contains sexual themes and nsfw content.**

**Chapter 3**

One date turned into two, then three, then four, continuing on for the next few months. Most of them had a repeating pattern; the two of them would go out, return to Abel’s apartment for tea, and crash together on the couch in the late hours of the night.

On a warm late summer night, just over a year since their first meeting, Cain laid on the couch in Abel’s now-familiar flat; the latter leaned against him comfortably, his legs drawn up on the couch; it was warm enough for them to have left their shoes and even their socks at the door. The only light in the room was the illuminated glow of the television that was playing an old black-and-white movie that they only half-paid attention to.

“Could these movies be any more cliché?” Cain laughed as the male lead in the film said a cheap, cheesy line.

“I kind of like them,” Abel admitted, smiling up at the redhead.

“Please, that was such a cheap shot.” He scoffed as the characters on screen kissed; the overdramatic orchestral soundtrack that played in the background was audible even though the volume was down low.

“Oh, like you could make it better?” Abel challenged, raising his eyebrows.

“Easily,” Cain countered. “ _Real_ romance scenes have more buildup. You’ve got to turn slightly, like so.” He demonstrated, angling his body towards the green-haired man as he continued to narrate. “Look deep into your partner’s eyes, lean forward slowly… Raise their chin, tilt your head…” As he matched Abel’s bright green stare, he moved his head closer, one hand underneath Abel’s chin to bring it slightly upwards. Their lips were nearly touching, and Cain could feel Abel’s quickening breath as he waited for the finale.

But the finale never came, and when Abel’s eyes peeked open he could see Cain grinning at him, still only a mere inch away. “You’re such a tease,” he complained, but laughed as the redhead finally smooched him on the nose. Without warning, he suddenly stood, grabbing Cain’s shoulders and shoving his back against the couch.

“What are you—” Cain’s words were cut short by Abel’s sudden, passionate kiss. With one knee on either side of him, the green-haired man straddled Cain’s lap; one hand stayed on the redhead’s shoulder and the other cradled his chin, holding his jaw steady and close.

Cain’s heart raced as Abel began to gently grind against his abdomen. Feeling daring, he slipped his hands underneath his partner’s loose t-shirt, and Abel’s back instinctively arched with a small shiver when Cain’s finger slowly traced up his spine.

Their lips separated only for the need of air. Abel started to lean in again, but paused, keeping his lips just out of Cain’s reach as he cupped the redhead’s jaw firmly; he grinned, pleased at this little act of revenge. However, his tiny triumph didn’t last long, and Abel’s smirk faded as he felt Cain’s hands slide from his lower back around to his chest, the redhead’s slender fingers trailing along his dark skin just lightly enough to leave him craving more.

Cain’s wandering hands slid all over Abel’s torso. His fingers ghosted around Abel’s left nipple, and he felt the green-haired man tense up slightly; a small, quiet moan slipped from Abel’s barely parted lips. The noise surprised Cain, and he was slightly embarrassed to realize just how incredibly hot he had found it. A bit of warmth began to spread through his lower half, and he shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling a constricting tightness.

When Abel slightly loosened the hold on Cain’s chin, he took the opportunity to lean forward, planting a quick kiss on the green-haired man’s lips. Soft kisses landed on his nose and cheeks as well, and it wasn’t long before Cain had worked his way down to the side of Abel’s neck. Cain licked up the side of Abel’s neck towards his ear, eliciting a strong shiver that raced down his spine as Cain nibbled slightly on his sensitive earlobe, the strange and wet sensation not entirely unpleasant.

Another low moan escaped Abel’s mouth, this time right next to Cain’s ear. It was so close that the redhead could feel his partner’s quick breaths, and he felt another rush of warmth to his groin.

“Abel…” He murmured in a voice that he almost didn’t recognize as his own. His hands slid around the green-haired man’s lower torso, hovering dangerously close to his belt. “I want you.”

“I’m yours,” came Abel’s honeyed reply in a voice that was dripping with lust, his hand releasing Cain’s jaw.

At that invitation, the redhead gripped the hem of Abel’s shirt and lifted it up slowly over his head; he removed his own shirt in the same manner and tossed them aside. With his hands on Abel’s waist, Cain slowly pushed the green-haired man down onto his back, his shoulders leaning against the armrest of the couch.

Cain’s hands moved quickly, unfastening the buckle on his partner’s belt and sliding off his form-hugging jeans. He paused before continuing, a high blush warming his cheeks. “Is this okay?”

“You’d better hurry up, before I change my mind,” Abel teased, grinning.

With a light laugh, Cain continued his movements, gently removing the last piece of clothing from Abel’s body, fully revealing him. Cain’s hand moved to touch the base of the green-haired man’s exposed member; he flinched at first from the touch, his knees instinctively coming together slightly, but he quickly relaxed.

Cain slid a bit further away down the couch, so when he leaned forward, his face was exactly where he wanted it. He took the tip of Abel’s hardened length into his mouth; one hand pumped up and down slowly at the base, and the other slid across Abel’s inner thigh, tracing circles across his sensitive skin.

A long sigh escaped Abel’s lips, and Cain glanced up to see him with his eyes closed, his head tilting back in pleasure. He reached out to grip Cain’s shoulder, urging him on.

The redhead’s hand slithered underneath Abel’s body, his fingers searching for his partner’s entrance. As he slipped his index finger inside, he heard Abel gasp, feeling his back arching slightly. He slowly moved his finger, sliding it in and out in a consistent motion for a few moments before adding another digit. His head bobbed up and down, tongue swirling around as he sucked for a bit longer before pulling off with an audible _pop_ , sliding his fingers out as well. Abel’s small moans and gasps were like music to Cain’s ears, and he couldn’t hold back any longer; without realizing that he was breathing heavily, he moved to position himself above Abel, holding his lover’s thighs to keep them steady.

“W-wait,” the green-haired man whispered, holding his hand to Cain’s chest to stop him; the latter paused and looked at him with confusion. Reaching his other arm back over his head behind him, he struggled to reach the small bottle that was resting on the small table beside the couch. He fished around blindly for a moment before his fingers seized what he was looking for, and he handed the container of lube to Cain, his face burning red in embarrassment.

Cain couldn’t help but laugh as Abel got flustered, and he popped open the lid of the bottle, squeezing a bit out into his palm. He smeared it not only on his own length but also around his partner’s opening, slipping his fingers back in for a few quick thrusts. He was surprised at how easily they slid in with the assistance of the slimy substance, and Abel squirmed a bit at the cold feeling inside him. There was a loud squelching noise as he withdrew his fingers once more, returning to his original position.

He waited for a moment, casting a glance down towards his partner for one last check to make sure it was okay. Seeing the slight nod of confirmation, he let out a long breath as he slowly pushed himself inside of Abel, the latter letting out a small cry, digging his nails into the skin Cain’s back. Biting back his own noises, Cain withdrew almost all the way before returning, sliding in and out of the green-haired man’s entrance that was still slightly tight. His hands hooked underneath Abel’s knees, holding the other’s legs up as he moved in between them.

Cain attacked Abel’s lips in a rather feverish kiss, his pace increasing just slightly. Their raspy breathing made the kiss hard to hold, and Cain broke for air sooner than he would have liked. He moved his lips to his partner’s neck instead, biting down gently on the sensitive skin. This action caused Abel to let out a long moan, adjusting his grip on Cain’s back, his back arching slightly. Pleased at the noise, Cain smiled as he bit again a little lower, nibbling on the tan skin of the green-haired man’s shoulder, littering the side of his neck with love marks. Small grunts came from his mouth as well, mostly muffled as he kept his mouth busy on Abel’s neck. Cain sped up, putting more force behind his thrusting, driven by the sound of Abel’s hot moan.

“ _Nh…_ Cain…! Cain,” Abel gasped out; he had been calling his lover’s name, but now he attempted to get the redhead’s attention, lowering his chin and trying to meet the other’s gaze.

Cain slowed, taking his mouth off of his partner’s neck, his auburn eyes meeting Abel’s shining emerald gaze. He had noticed the other trying to get his attention, and he stopped completely, concern on his face. “What’s wrong?”

Abel laughed at the sight of his partner’s immediately concerned face, and he leaned up to plant his lips on the redhead’s mouth. “Cain…” he breathed once more, his arms wrapped around the other’s upper torso, holding him so close that their chests were almost touching. He had to take a few breaths before speaking; even though he had rather tanned skin, his face still burned red. When he finally spoke, a large smile formed before he got the words out. “I love you.”

The words came as a surprise, and Cain stared at his partner for a moment, before he felt a grin spread on his face. It was the first time he had heard those words from Abel, and they stirred up a feeling in him that he could only describe by responding in the same way. “I love you, too.” He pressed his lips against Abel’s once more, struggling to hold the kiss between their wide smiles.

Cain began to move again, sliding himself back into Abel, picking up the pace of his thrusting. Small grunts came escaped his lips as the pleasure that stemmed from his groin vibrated through his body. From the sounds Abel was making, it was apparent that his partner was enjoying it as well. He put more power behind his movements, returning to the green-haired man’s neck to bite into the skin a bit more, making marks that would last the night.

The air was filled with the sound of their heavy breathing and the slapping of skin on skin; the old movie that still played on the television was long forgotten. Cain could feel the pressure steadily building in his waist as he pumped into his lover, and he knew he was quickly approaching his limit. He let go of one of Abel’s legs, his hand trailing along the other’s thigh and gently taking hold of his length, rubbing up and down with a bit of pressure. He could feel Abel twitching in closeness as he massaged his member, loud moans slipping from the green-haired man’s mouth.

Eventually, Cain couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He bit down on Abel’s neck a bit harder than intended as he finished with a final thrust into his lover’s entrance, his white seed shooting out inside of his partner. At about the same time, Abel arched his back, letting out a final cry as he released his own essence out onto Cain’s hand.

Breathing hard as he fell from the sexual high, Cain pulled out of Abel, and they did nothing for a few moments but breath, recovering from the intensity of the session. Cain couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at his partner’s flushed face. This caused the green-haired man to look at him strangely, but with an amused smile. “What are you laughing at?”

“Your face is all red,” Cain explained with another short chuckle.

“So is yours,” Abel challenged, staring up at the redhead, lifting his hand to brush it against his partner’s cheek. "You look like a tomato.”

“At least I’m not a Christmas tree,” he countered, and they grinned at each for a few moments.

They spent a couple minutes cleaning themselves up, before settling back down on the couch, not even bothering to move to the bed for the night. Cain pulled Abel close, his chin resting on the other’s shoulder as Abel’s bare back pressed into his chest. The first old movie had ended, and another one had started playing, this same black-and-white themed film hardly any different than the first. They were watching it but not entirely paying attention; Cain had enveloped himself in Abel’s scent and warmth, hugging his partner around his midsection to keep him close. With his arms around Abel’s torso, he could feel as the other’s breathing began to become more even, and he smiled as he realized that his green-haired lover had fallen asleep. Planting his lips on the resting Abel’s cheek in a short, loving kiss, Cain allowed his own drooping eyes to close, and he dozed off.

* * *

When Cain’s auburn eyes opened again, daylight was streaming in from the window and hitting him right in the face. He blinked himself awake, starting to sit up; his body was cramped from being on a couch all night instead of in a bed, and he looked around for a moment, dazed, not immediately remembering where he was. A blanket had been strewn over him, and it fell to his lap as he sat up. Remembering his location, he suddenly realized that Abel was gone. Reaching up to fix his ruffled hair, he glanced around the living room, looking for the green-haired man for a moment before his attention was shifted to a noise that came from the doorway to the kitchen.

Abel appeared, fully dressed, with a mug in either hand. Smiling, he walked over towards the groggy redhead, offering the cup that was filled with steaming fresh coffee. “Good evening,” he teased, sitting in a chair that was a few feet away from the couch where they had spent the night before.

Cain graciously accepted the coffee, bringing it to his lips and blowing on it softly before taking a sip; it was sweet, much different than the usual bitter liquid that he usually made himself that he drank only for the sake of waking up.

“Are you hungry? I can whip up something,” Abel offered, taking a long drink from his own mug.

“Hm? Oh, sure,” Cain agreed, smiling as he savored the taste of the coffee; the heat of it warmed his cheeks.

As Abel returned to the kitchen, Cain glanced around; his clothes were still strewn on the floor, and suddenly the redness of his cheeks wasn’t only due to the coffee. Collecting them, he dressed quickly, folding up the blanket that Abel must have put over him after awakening.

He started to head to the kitchen to see if he could help in the preparation, but Abel’s glare sent him scurrying, and he laughed to himself; he should have known better than to interrupt a culinary artist at work. It was that, or the fact that disaster practically radiated off of him when he stepped foot into a kitchen.

After they ate, Cain reluctantly stood to leave. After all, he couldn’t stay at Abel’s place forever… not yet, anyway. He chuckled to himself at the silly thought, sharing another kiss with his green-haired partner before heading out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: This chapter contains sexual themes and nsfw content.**

**Chapter Four**

Cain held open the door of a small diner, allowing for Abel to enter first before he followed. Taking a glance around the classic-looking restaurant, he quickly spotted the group that he and his partner were meeting up with, and the two hurried towards the table.

From the edge inwards sat Lena, Julian, and Merric; opposite of Merric was Marth, who had that side of the bench to himself before the two arrived. Cain slid in first, leaving the edge seat for Abel.

“Sorry we’re late,” Cain grinned. “ _Someone_ couldn’t find his favorite scarf.”

“It’s practically winter,” Abel argued, rolling his eyes and giving Cain a playful jab with his elbow; the latter wasn’t even wearing a jacket. “If you get sick, I’m not taking care of you.”

“It’s hardly fall,” Cain insisted, overdramatically nursing the spot where Abel had jabbed. “You—”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it, you’re both idiots.” Julian’s interruption earned him a smack on the ear by Lena.

While the four of them chatted, Marth turned to Merric, a bemused smirk forming on his face as he confiscated the book that the green-haired man had tried to subtly pull out.

“Hey! I need that.” Merric reached to get his book back, but Marth tucked it beside him in the bench.

“Nope, today you have to converse like a regular human being. How are your classes going?”

“I’m going to fail the exam in that one unless you give me my book back.” Merric frowned, his expression serious. Marth couldn’t help but laugh at the student’s intense face; Merric never failed anything, no matter how much he insisted he was going to. Taking a peek at the title of the book he had plucked from his friend’s hands, Marth noticed it was a book about history, Merric’s major, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn’t that he minded Merric’s scholarly choice, but the other’s obsession with the past often led him to forget to live in the present.

After exchanging a few more stubborn glares, Merric finally gave up, sighing and turning his attention to join the conversation, and Marth smiled in satisfaction. The discussion had turned to focus on Lena; she was showing off a beautiful silver necklace, the piece of jewelry decorated in the center with an expertly cut magenta gemstone.

Abel admired it from across the table; even from a distance he could see that the necklace was carved with intricate designs, but the main beauty of it was the gem. “Where did you get such a beautiful jewel?”

“Yeah, Julian, where _did_ you get it?” Cain added, raising one eyebrow to judge the other redhead’s response.

“I bought that one, honestly,” Julian insisted. “Cut it myself and everything. As if I’d be dumb enough to give Lena a stolen gem,” he scoffed. “She can sniff out a stolen good better than a bloodhound.” Julian was a rather talented jewelry-maker, but his methods of obtaining the beautiful gems he used were… questionable, at best. He had a bad habit for picking up things that caught his eye, and Lena had been doing her best to turn him away from his thieving habits. To Cain’s surprise, it was working very well. He hadn’t realized just how smitten his friend was; the latter was trying so hard to please Lena, even if he didn’t show it at times.

Merric had been quiet through all this, and Marth gave him a gentle kick under the table to get him to say something. The green-haired student felt the kick and shot a glare towards Julian, returning the kick to where he thought it had come from. Julian rammed his foot into Cain’s without even flinching in silent payback. It was then that Cain turned to glance at Abel, wondering what he had done to elicit a kick. The latter wasn’t paying attention to Cain’s confused look; he wasn’t involved in the kicking fiasco. At least he hadn’t been, until Cain gently nudged him with his foot under the table.

Abel thought nothing of the movement, thinking it as a mistake, until the nudge came again; he nudged back absentmindedly. Cain’s foot knocked into Abel’s under the table gently and repeatedly, his partner returning each motion; the meaning of the first kick was forgotten, and Cain was a bit too involved in their game of footsy.

Soon, his hand settled on Abel’s knee, and he felt his partner shift slightly, but he didn’t draw away. Listening to the conversation and only half-heartedly participating, Cain’s hand trailed up the side of Abel’s thigh, moving in subtle motions underneath the table. He was almost absentmindedly moving his hand around, not really paying attention to its location as his fingers brushed against the green-haired man’s inner thigh. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that his partner’s face had begun to turn a faint shade of red. Amused, Cain finally withdrew his hand, hardly noticing as Abel shifted in his seat as if he were uncomfortable.

“I’ll be right back,” Abel said quickly, standing up; his hand brushed against Cain’s shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze before he began to walk in the direction of the restaurant’s bathroom.

Cain noticed as the other stood, but didn’t think anything of it, turning back to the table and trying to follow the conversation that he had lost in the few moments that he had been distracted. Suddenly, he felt a tapping on his shoulder, and he glanced over to see Marth giving him an amused look.

“I think you should check on Abel,” the blue-haired man murmured, raising his eyebrows.

Cain stared back at him, confused. “What? He’s only been gone a minute.”

“Cain,” Marth was biting back laughter at the other’s cluelessness, and he spoke his words slowly and deliberately. “I really think you should go check on Abel.”

Understanding that Marth was trying to convey some message to him, but not able to figure out what, Cain pretended to get it, nodding his head. “Okay…?” He stood, casting one last glance over his shoulder as he followed the path that his partner had gone not long ago. Turning the corner towards the bathrooms, Cain was surprised to see Abel hovering next to the door that led outside the back way.

“Finally,” Abel rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, and he grabbed the confused Cain’s hand and pulled him through the door towards the alley behind the restaurant, somewhere they probably shouldn’t be. With surprising force, Abel held Cain by the shoulders and pinned him against the wall of the alley.

“What’s going on, are you oka—” Cain’s concerned words were cut off by the sudden feeling of Abel’s lips on his, and he blinked in quiet surprise.

“This is your fault, you know,” Abel teased with a coy smile. “You got me all worked up.” One of his hands lowered to massage the outside of Cain’s groin, his fingers placing gentle pressure to stimulate the redhead even through his clothing. “Come on… Finish what you started.”

Cain suddenly realized what was going on, and felt a blush forming on his face. “Out here?” he questioned, a bit incredulously. As he felt his partner rubbing on his lower half, he twitched, biting down on his lip for a moment to keep quiet a pleased noise. His own cheeks were warming up, and when he examined Abel he realized just how flustered the other was. Cain was hesitant, but how could he say no to that face?

Cain glanced around the empty alleyway, making sure the door to the restaurant was shut and no one was near before taking a step forward and turning, switching him and his partner’s positions so that he was the one pinning Abel to the wall.

Turning his partner around, Cain hovered close as the green-haired man pressed against the wall of the alley. Arching his back slightly, Abel grinded against the redhead’s crotch, pressing his palms to the wall to keep himself supported. Cain kissed the side of Abel’s neck, using his hands to undo his partner’s belt and slide his pants down just far enough to expose his lower region. They only had a couple minutes before someone at the table would probably start to worry, so Cain didn’t waste any time, starting off with two fingers slipping inside of Abel. The green-haired man groaned as he leaned against the wall, his already hardened member twitching. Thrusting his fingers in and out, soon adding a third, Cain made rough scissoring motions, preparing his partner quickly and efficiently. He could feel warmth spreading through his own groin, and he removed his slender fingers from inside of Abel so he could undo his own belt.

“Hurry up,” Abel gasped, struggling to keep his voice down. Cain happily obliged, hesitating only to cast another glance over his shoulder—still finding nothing but an empty alley—before pushing himself into Abel rather roughly. His arms were wrapped around his partner’s waist, one hand holding onto his hipline to keep him steady and the other gripping onto Abel’s erection; he slid his hand up and down with some force, rubbing in time with his thrusting to give his lover as much pleasure as possible in the short time window that they had.

Their noises were muffled as they both tried to keep quiet, to avoid bringing themselves to the attention of anyone who may have been nearby. To keep his mouth distracted, Cain pulled on the collar of his partner’s shirt, and then bit down on Abel’s exposed neck; he could feel the other’s body weaken slightly, and he smiled through the bite, knowing that Abel loved the gentle nips. He sped up the pace of his thrusting, not holding back at all.

Abel had his face shoved into the crook of his arm in an attempt to keep himself silent, and although Cain knew they had to be quiet, he couldn’t help but wish that he could hear his lover’s pleased moans; he had to remind himself their current session was really out of lust, rather than love. Pushing the thoughts away, focusing on pleasing his partner, Cain pushed deeper inside of Abel, pumping in and out of him with increasing force. Already, he could feel himself growing close, and from the way the green-haired man’s length twitched in his hand, he could tell that Abel was on the verge as well.

Cain finished off with a few more rough thrusts, biting down harder than intended on his partner’s neck as he came, closing his auburn eyes and letting the pleasure wash over his body; it was intense, but short-lived. Feeling his partner’s throbbing and hearing a muffled moan, he could tell that Abel had released as well. The air was filled with their heavy breathing as they quickly got themselves cleaned up, waiting for faces to lose the bright shades of red before daring to return.

Abel returned to the table first, with Cain following not long after. As the redhead slid into his seat, Marth winked, and Cain smiled sheepishly in gratitude and embarrassment. Glancing around, Cain felt as if something was different, and then he noticed that the green-haired student was gone, leaving Julian and Lena on the bench alone. “Where did Merric go?”

“He rushed off, mumbling something about a study group. You know how he is. He was out of here the moment I gave him his book back; if anyone else snatched something from me like that, their ass would be on the floor in a heartbeat.” Marth’s words were almost monotone, but he was smiling; it was obvious that the stoic-faced male had a soft spot for the scatterbrained student.

“Hey, Abel, your collar’s messed up.” Julian suddenly said, and he started to reach over the table to help fix it.

“It’s fine,” Abel said a bit too quickly, leaning away and popping his collar all the way up. The way the shirt was styled was for it to be folded over, so it kept falling even when he straightened it, but he kept it up to hide a rather obnoxious purple bruise that hadn’t been there ten minutes ago.

Cain couldn’t keep a blush from rising to his face, and Julian raised one eyebrow in suspicion, but he didn’t really care. “Whatever, buddy.” With a quick glance at his watch, the smaller redhead’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, I didn’t realize it was so late. Lena, we’ve gotta scram if we’re gonna make it on time.”

“Where are you two headed?” Marth piped up curiously, watching as the pink-haired woman slid out of the booth, her partner following a moment after.

“There is a charity drive at the hospital,” Lena explained, slipping her coat on over her slender shoulders. The soft-spoken woman was a nurse, an expert in her field, and she actively participated in any events that her job hosted. From what Cain heard, the patients loved her, and for good reason; Lena was a darling. “Julian was the one who told me about it, actually,” she continued. “He volunteered us to help.” Her gaze turned toward her partner, a pleased smile on her face.

Julian rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, embarrassed at Lena’s praise. “Yeah, well… You know, I thought you’d want to do it.”

Cain was impressed. At first, Lena had been the one dragging Julian to all these volunteering events; the complaining had gradually decreased over time, until he was going along willingly. Now, it seemed as though he was actually eager to go, and it was a dramatic change for the better.

“We should get going too,” Cain looked at Abel, who nodded in response. They didn’t have anywhere important to be, but the weather was getting colder and they had quite the distance to walk back toward Abel’s flat, and the redhead would rather not make the trip in the dark.

Abel, who was sitting on the edge seat, slid out first, with Cain standing up just after. Before Marth exited the booth, he lifted his drink glass to his lips and downed what was left of his water in one gulp, setting it back on the table and daintily wiping his mouth with the napkin that had been sitting in his lap.

“You didn’t eat anything?” Cain questioned as the last member of their little group stood; the table had miscellaneous empty plates, but none had sat in front of the navy-haired man.

“I’m taking Caeda out tonight,” Marth explained with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Can’t ruin my appetite too early.”

Cain only returned the shrug in response before turning towards the direction of the door; Julian and Lena were already almost out. As he stepped outside into the fresh air, he glanced down the street to his left, and froze. He had been holding onto Abel’s hand, and the latter gave it a small squeeze, feeling as Cain’s body went tense. The redhead’s gaze was locked onto a small group of bulky men who were only steps away from the door, in the same direction that Julian and Lena were headed.

Cain stared intently at the bunch, examining their faces, his entire body rigid. He couldn’t hide his obvious relief as he finally realized that he didn’t recognize them, and he turned to see Abel giving him a quizzical look; he had been so caught up in being wary of the strangers that he had forgotten Abel was right next to him. He offered only an innocent smile to his partner; the latter obviously wanted to say something, but didn’t.

“Please let go of me…” A soft voice reached Cain’s ears, and he recognized it to be Lena’s. He turned to see the pink-haired woman looking incredibly uncomfortable; one of the strangers that Cain had been examining was gripping tightly onto her arm to keep her from walking away. Although he was angered, Cain didn’t have time to react before Julian practically pounced on the larger man, throwing his fist into the stranger’s jaw; a scowl decorated the shorter man’s face as he got between Lena and the one who had grabbed her.

As it turned out, the others behind the bulky man were his friends. The two others began shouting obscenities at Julian, and the one who had touched Lena attempted to return Julian’s punch; the smaller man easily dodged it. Abel, who had been standing nearby next to Cain, rushed forward, grabbing Lena’s arm in a much gentler grip than the stranger, urging her away from the pending fight. She went easily, although she kept an uncertain gaze on Julian, worried for him.

Merric had already left, but Marth wasn’t too far away, and upon hearing the commotion, he turned back to see the three strangers barreling down on his friends. With a small sigh, the navy-haired male rejoined the group, picking his target and shoving his fist into the face of the stranger on the left.

With the other two occupied, this left Cain to face the last man on the right. He felt adrenaline building, and a nagging feeling told him that this wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Marth and Julian had squared up against their opponents, using basic fists, but Cain’s method of fighting was a bit more creative. He dashed forward, unable to keep a grin off his face as he kicked out his leg, utilizing his strong thighs and ramming his heel into the other’s abdomen. Not allowing for his current enemy to have a moment of opportunity, the redhead slammed the point of his elbow into the upper back of the stranger as he doubled over, knocking him face-first to the ground. Gripping the fallen man by the collar and yanking him back to his feet, Cain landed a couple of punches to the stocky man’s face for good measure, easily dodging a clumsy swing that came his way. One last punch sent the man stumbling away, and he didn’t return, retreating like a dog with its tail in between its legs.

Adrenaline was pumping through him, but he couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied; the fight was clearly uneven, and it was over much too quickly for his liking. Glancing over, he realized that the others weren’t having as much luck. Marth’s battle was about even, and the stoic-faced man was quickly obtaining the advantage; he didn’t need any help. Quick, solid punches sent his opponent staggering backwards, unable to keep up with the navy-haired male’s flying fists; this stranger wasn’t as dumb as the others, and he turned tail before his situation got too bad.

Julian’s only disadvantage was his size, and although he could easily avoid any attacks, his own punches weren’t doing much damage. Even though he knew the other would get mad, Cain intervened anyway, throwing his leg out in a roundhouse kick that connected with the middle of the bulky man’s back, sending the surprised stranger flying forward, face-planting into the ground. Julian, who was right in front of the falling man, had to quickly slide out of the way, and he gave Cain an angered look, but it held traces of gratitude. The shorter redhead gave the thick man on the ground a harsh kick in the side for good measure. At the kick, the last stranger jumped, quickly getting to his feet; he knew he had been beaten, and he slunk away, not even daring to glare at the one who had struck him down.

Not even out of breath from the fight, Cain flashed Julian a grin, but the other had already started to head over towards Lena; their matching concerned gazes for each other were romantically disgusting. Rolling his eyes, but following him, Cain gave a casual nod to Abel, not noticing the incredulous stare that the green-haired man was giving him. Seeing that the fight was done, Marth waved a little goodbye, not hesitating in leaving once the fun was over.

“Time to go?” Cain suggested, reaching out to take Abel’s hand in his; it felt uncharacteristically clammy. They walked in silence for a while, not making haste even though the daylight was fading. Without warning, Abel stopped, letting go of Cain’s hand. The redhead stopped as well, turning around with a confused expression, finally noticing the strange look in Abel’s eyes. “What?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’?” Abel said suddenly, traces of anger in his voice. “What the hell was that, Cain?”

Cain stared back at him, not understanding, confusion shining in his auburn eyes. “What was what?”

“You just beat two guys to the ground without breaking a sweat!” Abel’s voice came out louder than intended, and he quieted as he continued. “Where did you learn…?”

The redhead frowned, suddenly understanding what Abel meant. It had been so long since he’d been in a fight, he had gone a bit overboard, forgetting that his partner had been an audience to his session. “I just… picked up the moves, over the years,” he explained weakly, offering a small smile.

Abel wasn’t convinced. He’d seen the way Cain was so comfortable in his actions; the fighting had been his own personal style that had been well-developed and practiced, not some random moves he had ‘picked up’. He could sense that Cain was hiding something from him, and he felt slightly offended but more worried that the other wouldn’t share the truth.

Seeing Abel’s frown, Cain felt his heart beginning to race again, but this time was in nervousness.  “It was nothing,” he insisted, but he knew he didn’t have an excuse that would put Abel’s mind at ease. “Come on… it’s getting cold.”

Unsatisfied, but understanding that he wouldn’t get anything more out of Cain, Abel nodded slowly, continuing to walk. There was nothing he could do but trust that whatever Cain was hiding was being hidden for a good reason.

They walked a bit faster back towards Abel’s apartment, as the air had gotten a rather harsh chill to it. Once inside, they stopped just outside of Abel’s door, and Cain offered a small smile, hoping the incident from earlier was forgotten. It wasn’t, but Abel didn’t mention it. “Surely you’re not planning to walk all the way back home like that?” He placed his warm hand on Cain’s bare arms, surprised at how cold they were, even though they had just been walking outside. The redhead lived rather far away, almost on the complete opposite side of town. Besides… Abel didn’t want him to leave yet.

“I’ll be okay,” Cain shrugged, although he couldn’t deny the warm touch on his chilled skin felt nice. He hadn’t noticed the way Abel had subtly invited him inside.

Abel couldn’t help but laugh at his partner’s cluelessness. He placed his hand on the back of Cain’s cold neck, pulling head down for a kiss, keeping his face close even as they separated. “Come on…” He cooed with a mischievous grin. “I’ll keep you warm.” Opening the door to his apartment, he dragged the blushing Cain inside.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The cold weather persisted, and Cain had the heat blasting in his small black Accord as he pulled up beside the restaurant where Abel worked. The green-haired man was waiting just inside the doors, and he dashed out as soon he heard Cain’s honk. The hood of his jacket was pulled far over his head to try and block some of the freezing rain that was coming down in a downpour. He yanked open the car door and slid into the passenger seat, letting out a long breath as he lowered his hood and shook out his messy hair.

“Hey hot stuff, need a ride?” Cain grinned as Abel climbed into the car.

“Thanks,” Abel huffed, pulling on his seat belt as the redhead began to pull away back towards the road. “Trying to walk in this rain would be a disaster.”

Cain nodded his head but didn’t look over towards his partner, keeping his eyes on the road. He’d dropped Abel off to work and was picking him up to take him home; the latter usually walked, but the freezing rain and wind had made that all but impossible. It had been raining since the day before, and the roads hid dangerous patches of ice, so Cain had to put all his concentration into driving. He was going slowly and carefully down the road, barely touching the gas.

They had been driving for a few minutes when Cain made a sudden, quiet noise, almost like a small gasp. Abel turned his head, but the redhead’s face was calm, and he thought perhaps he had almost imagined the noise. Turning back to the road, Abel squinted to see through the torrential downpour, and he felt a bit guilty for asking Cain to be driving in such weather. The latter had begun to speed up, his foot moving down on the gas a bit harder. Out of the corner of his eye, Abel noticed that his partner’s knuckles had gone white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. Leaning forward to glance out of the window, Abel noticed that his building was coming up, but Cain wasn’t slowing down; if anything, his speed was still steadily increasing.

“Cain…?” Abel said hesitantly, not wanting to interrupt the other while he was so intent, but trying to point out the turn.

“It’s fine,” Cain said a response that didn’t make sense, passing the turn and continuing on down the road.

Abel frowned, looking at the side of his partner’s face that he could see. Cain’s auburn gaze was flicking up constantly, glancing in the rearview mirror with narrowed eyes. Craning his neck in his seat, Abel noticed the headlights that were shining right behind them, coming from a SUV that wasn’t nearly far enough back. He silently shamed whoever would think to tailgate in such weather, but when he looked back towards Cain, the other’s increasingly worried face made him think that whoever behind them was more than just than a careless driver.

Cain’s eyes were staring intently at the road; his headlights weren’t much help in such rain. There were no other cars on the road beside his and the one that was following very close behind him. His heart was beating in his chest; he could see Abel’s concerned face in his peripheral vision, and he took a deep breath, trying but failing to relax his features, not wanting his partner to worry. He could handle it… or at least, he was trying to convince himself that he could.

He continued down the road, with the dark-colored SUV following just behind him. He was leading it away from where Abel lived, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to lose it so easily. After a few more moments of tension, the car shook slightly, and Abel yelped in surprise; the larger vehicle behind them had gotten so close that it had tapped the back of their car, and Cain struggled to keep control on the slippery road. Taking a long breath, he kept his eyes locked onto the road. “Hold on to something,” he said commandingly, not waiting to make sure that Abel followed his instructions before slamming down on the gas.

The car shot forward; Abel had grabbed onto the door handle just in time to avoid knocking his head on the dashboard. Cain’s foot was nearly touching the floor as the tires squeaked on the pavement, his small black car racing down the road; to Abel’s horror, he realized that the car that was behind them matched their pace. “Cain, what the hell—!?”

“It’s fine!” Cain repeated what he had said earlier in a louder voice, still not tearing his eyes from the road. Abel was scared; he didn’t know how Cain could possibly see where he was going, and it was so dark outside that he couldn’t tell where they were. All he could do was trust that the redhead knew what he doing.

Cain sped down the empty road, his knuckles white as he gripped tightly on the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched, and he shot only one more glance into the rearview mirror before yanking the wheel to the left, making a sharp turn down a small road between two buildings. His small car could turn quicker than the bigger vehicle, and he increased the distance between himself and the SUV following him as he made another turn at the end of the small road. It wasn’t enough; the dark-colored vehicle still followed, and it was slowly regaining the lost ground.

The redhead had the slight advantage in that he was ahead, knowing where he would turn before his follower did. This advantage disappeared, however, when he hit a large patch of black ice on the road. His small car skidded out of control, beginning to hydroplane; Cain couldn’t spin the tires in the right direction before he slid off the road altogether. Luckily for them, the area where the car ended up was devoid of trees; only a large patch of grass separated the road they had been on from another.

The car definitely wasn’t made for off-road, and it was a bumpy ride as Cain drove through the grass, leaving muddy tire tracks in his wake. It wasn’t far to the next road, and once he reached it, he floored the gas once more, but he had lost all the distance that he had gained in the turns; the large SUV made it across the grass much easier than he had.

Silently cursing, Cain continued to race down the road, with his harasser following his every move. After a few more moments, he hit another patch of black ice, and the car skidded once more. He was prepared this time, yanking the wheel in the opposite direction and keeping control even as the tires squealed loudly. The car was practically facing sideways now, and Cain hit the gas once he had the opportunity, speeding off in the other direction. The SUV had hit the ice as well, but the larger car couldn’t handle the skidding quite as well as Cain had; the redhead made a sharp down another small road, whipping past buildings in his attempt to lose the persistent chaser.

Cain could hear the engine of the SUV faintly, even over the sound of pouring rain, but it was far enough back for him to do what he needed. Racing off, back in the other direction, he made more turns, not slowing down through them but keeping excellent control over the car. Tires squealed on the pavement as Cain slammed on the brakes, stopping the car suddenly; Abel’s seat belt was the only reason he didn’t get thrown forward and bash his head against the windshield.

“Get out,” Cain ordered, unlocking the doors and practically shoving Abel out. “Go!”

Abel obeyed, pulling off his seat belt and throwing the door open, hopping out quickly and slamming it behind him. As he ran for the shelter that covered the entrance to some building, he could hear the sound of tires screaming on the street, and he turned to see Cain speeding off down the road, leaving the smell of burning rubber behind him. Even though it was freezing, Abel stayed outside for a moment longer, green eyes narrowed in concern. A few seconds later, the SUV turned the corner of the building and whizzed by, splashing water up and narrowly missing where Abel stood; it was unconcerned with him.

Frowning, Abel clenched his hands into fists. There was nothing he could do, and frustration brewed inside of him. This wasn’t the first time Cain had acted strangely without reason, but it was the only time he had ever felt as if something was really, really wrong. There was something Cain was hiding from him that was dangerous, and he almost didn’t want to know what. Turning back around to face the building, he realized that it was his apartment complex; somehow, Cain had still managed to get him home while avoiding whoever was chasing them. He let out a little sigh, casting one last glance to the now-empty street before going inside.

Worry pricked at him, and he looked at his phone many times, fighting the urge to call Cain; if the latter was still driving, it would only distract him. He just had to trust that his partner would be able to get out of the scrap on his own; Cain was notoriously lucky, and had a habit of having things work out in his favor, but that didn’t stop Abel from pacing back and forth.

After a while of this, Abel heaved a sigh of defeat, finally stopping his pacing. Worrying wasn’t going to do himself or Cain any good. All he could do was try and calm down—his heart was still beating rather fast from the fear in the car—and wait until morning to contact Cain. He opened the cabinets in the kitchen, pulling down a cup; he glanced at the teapot, but it was too late in the evening to make tea, so he just pulled on the sink tap for some water instead. He leaned against the counter, bringing the cup to his lips, taking a small sip of the liquid; it wasn’t as calming as tea, but at least it soothed his parched throat.

Just as he was beginning to calm down, darkness suddenly flooded his apartment. Abel gasped in surprise, the cup dropping from his hands; he felt the water splashing on the floor around his bare feet, but the glass didn’t break. He gripped onto the counter, moving carefully to avoid slipping on the spilled liquid. The emergency lights flickered and then finally came on, giving his usually homey apartment a rather ominous yellow glow. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable, scared to be alone, and he found himself wishing that Cain was with him. He quickly pulled on his shoes, intending to go out to the lobby of the building; it was just a power outage, but the events of the evening had him incredibly on edge.

He could hear loud talking before he even reached the first floor stairs; he wasn’t expecting to see the lobby crowded with people as it was. Glancing around, he stayed at the back of the crowd, trying to pick up information on what was happening, but the sound of everyone trying to talk over each other was so loud he could only hear bits and pieces; his head started to ache almost immediately just from the noise.

“He’ll kill us!”

“I saw him outside the door!”

“Liar, stop trying to scare us!”

Abel was confused; the shouting people seemed concerned with something else than just the power outage. Weaving through the crowd, he finally spotted someone he recognized; Ogma jumped as Abel grabbed his shoulder.

“What’s going on?” Abel asked, confusion shining in his wide green eyes. Even the larger man seemed to be tense, and that only made Abel more worried; if Ogma, stoic as he was, showed signs of worry, something was seriously wrong.

“Someone ran in claiming to see a man outside with a gun,” Ogma explained, a frown on his face. “Then the power failed and everyone panicked. There’s—”

The blonde’s explanation was cut short by the sound of a loud whistle. The two of them looked towards the source of the noise, as did the rest of the crowd. A stressed-looking policeman was standing on the reception counter. A scared worker was just behind him, but on the floor; she had been the recipient of most of the angered screaming, and fear was obvious on her young-looking face.

The group of people looked at the cop expectantly, finally quieting down. “There is no need to panic,” he began in a voice that betrayed his own worry. “A suspicious man of bulky build and long black hair was spotted roaming the area with a gun—” A roar filled the room as all the residents began yelling at once; a couple people even screamed. It took a minute or two before the crowd calmed enough for the sweaty policeman to begin announcing again. “We ask that you stay calm and go back to your rooms. Keep your door locked, but don’t panic, we are tracking down the perpetrator even as I speak.”

Abel’s heart dropped, and he felt a sense of impending dread. He couldn’t help but feel as if this situation had something to do with Cain and the person who had been chasing them earlier. The description of whoever had the gun didn’t match Cain, and Abel wasn’t sure if he felt relieved or even more worried at that. Mostly he just felt nauseous, and he stumbled away from the crowd; Ogma glanced over his shoulder as the green-haired man went, but the distance between them was immediately filled with more people.

Exiting the lobby, Abel lingered in the stairwell, sitting down to try and clear his head. He stayed like that for a while, trying to ignore the muffled yelling of the people who were still arguing in the foyer. Once his stomach settled, he stood, still holding on the railing to keep his balance. He slowly made his way back up towards his room, stepping inside and locking the door as the policeman had suggested; he even slid the deadbolt into place.

The power was still off, and he flopped down onto the couch, staring blankly at the black television screen that was in front of him. He was scared and worried, and didn’t quite know what to think, so he wasn’t thinking at all, just feeling numb and staring into space. The sound of his phone ringing caused him to jump, his heart racing at the sudden noise. Glancing at his mobile, he realized that the caller was Cain, and he answered it quickly.

“Cain? Are you okay?” He couldn’t keep the worry out of his voice.

_“Calm down, I’m fine. Listen, you need to stay inside, okay? Don’t go outside for any reason. Just trust me.”_ Cain’s voice was coming through from the other side, but the sound of pouring rain was muffled in the background, as if the redhead was outside somewhere.

Abel was gripping the phone tightly in shaking hands. “Okay,” he agreed, but his worries weren’t quelled. “Where are you?”

“ _I’m in my apartment_ ,” Cain claimed, but the sound of rain was too loud for that to be true.

“Cain,” Abel said seriously, feeling that sickening feeling in his stomach again, unable to think of why Cain would be lying. “Where are you?”

“ _Okay, you got me, I’m still outside. But I’m fine, Abel, everything is alright. Just don’t go outside. It’s late, try and get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?_ ”

“Okay…” Abel agreed once more, but he was frowning. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I love you.”

_“I love you too.”_

Those words held only the slightest bit of comfort at the moment. Abel’s brow was furrowed as his face contorted in worry, unsatisfied with how the conversation had gone. “Cain… please be safe.”

There was only silence for a moment on the other line, save for the sound of muffled rain. When Cain finally spoke again, his voice sounded almost sad. “ _I’ll see you tomorrow, Abel._ ”

The phone clicked off, and Abel lowered it from his ear, staring at the small device, blinking back frustrated tears. “Will you?”

* * *

The rain had stopped by morning. Cain was stirred awake by the sound of someone knocking on his door; groaning lightly, he rolled over, grunting loud as he fell onto the floor with a thud. He had collapsed on the couch last night after coming home, still fully dressed; he hadn’t even kicked off his shoes. Sitting up, rubbing his groggy eyes, he almost thought he had imagined the noise, until it came again; a distinct knocking sound, more urgent this time.

He quickly blinked himself awake, standing up and smoothing out his clothes. A sense of dread was creeping over him; no one ever came to see him, and when they did, it was never good. Even Marth, who always called to make sure it was safe before showing up, had stopped coming recently. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to not open the door, but the knock came a third time, louder, and it was clear whoever was there was not going to give up easily.

He peeked through the peephole, but saw nothing but blackness, as if it had been covered from the outside. The dread only continued to grow, and he took a deep breath before undoing the deadbolt and reaching for the handle of the door. He opened it slowly, and the sight before him drained the blood from his face.

“A-Abel? What are you doing here?” Cain stared in disbelief as the green-haired man hovered in his doorway. The green-haired man had never been to his home before; Cain had tried to make sure that his partner didn’t even know where it was, but somehow, the other had found his address and showed up without prior warning.

“Cain, we have to talk,” Abel began, his brow furrowed seriously.

“You… You shouldn’t be here,” Cain stammered, casting a worried glance down the hall; it was empty, but not unwatched.

Abel’s gaze was conflicted and confused, and the frown was still settled on his face. “What the hell is going on, Cain?”

“Look Abel, it’s fine—”

“It’s not fine!” Abel was so tired of hearing that. His shaking voice came out louder than intended as the words sent him over the edge. He had barely been holding it together, and he hated hearing Cain continue to insist that everything was okay when it clearly wasn’t.

Cain’s auburn eyes widened; he hadn’t realized just how upset Abel was, and he felt sweat pricking at his brow. He didn’t know what to say to calm the other down, and he certainly couldn’t tell him the truth… not now, not here. “Abel, everything is going to be okay, just don’t worry about it…” His words were weak and he knew it, but there wasn’t much else he could say.

“I have to worry about it,” Abel argued; anger was mixed in with the hurt on his face. “Because I fucking love you!” His loud-spoken words were full of stinging bitterness. “I can’t take this anymore. Why won’t you talk to me?”

There was only silence, and Abel was growing impatient. The angered frown on his face was fading, replaced with a terrible look of hurt. He was so confused at Cain’s strange actions, and as much as he didn’t want to walk away, he didn’t have much choice if the other would refuse to tell him anything.

The silence was heavy and filled with tension as terrible confliction wracked Cain’s heart. If he let Abel go, he risked the other walking out of his life forever; that thought was unbearable. If he reached out, he risked putting his partner in danger. He knew the others were always watching; he could practically feel their eyes on him at this very moment. He was stunned still, unable to move as his conflicted auburn eyes locked with Abel’s hurt gaze.

After a few more moments of that awful, hanging silence, Abel realized that he wouldn’t get Cain to talk; he had had enough, and he shook his head in defeat, turning to leave. Cain’s heart dropped as he saw the movement, and he felt his own selfishness taking over. Reaching out, he grabbed Abel’s arm, pulling the other back before he could take more than a step. “Wait,” he pleaded, desperation in his auburn eyes. Guilt washed over him, and he felt as though he had just condemned Abel; by proving that the green-haired man was of value to him, he had put his partner’s life in danger. Even so, he simply couldn’t stand the thought of letting Abel leave in such a state. “I will explain everything, later,” he promised, forcing his voice to stay steady. “I just… can’t right now. Please…”

Abel stopped as Cain grabbed his arm. Something in the redhead’s voice told him that he was being genuine in his promise, but Abel still hesitated. He couldn’t bring himself to walk away from Cain so easily, and he met his partner’s gaze once more before pulling the other into a tight hug. “I love you,” Abel said again, his words slightly muffled as he pressed his face into Cain’s shoulder. “But I need to be able to trust you.”

Cain returned the hug, but it held no comfort; not for him, at least. Terrible dread washed over him, and he did his best to hide it from Abel, glad that the other couldn’t see his face during the hug. “I love you too,” he murmured, closing his eyes and trying to enjoy the closeness of his lover for at least a moment. “I’m sorry…” He breathed in Abel’s scent for a second longer before reluctantly breaking the hug. “Look, Abel,” he said seriously in a lowered voice. “It’s not safe for you here. When you leave, don’t go directly home. Get somewhere public and call me from there, okay?”

Abel felt annoyance pricking at him from the vagueness of Cain’s instructions, but he nodded. He had told himself that he was going to trust Cain, believing that the other would tell him what was going on when the time was right.

“And Abel… If you see someone bulky with long black hair, run. Run as fast as you can and don’t stop until you’re out of his sight.”

Abel froze at those words. The image Cain had just painted matched the description that the policeman had warned the crowd of the night before, confirming his suspicions that Cain was involved with the man with the gun. He bit down on his bottom lip to avoid saying anything; he had just promised himself that he would trust Cain, but the redhead certainly wasn’t making that very easy. Instead, he only nodded, but his body was still tense. He turned to leave, noticing the way that Cain shot worried glances down the hall again before closing the door; he could hear the deadbolt sliding into place.

Abel still didn’t feel satisfied at the way things had gone. He combed his fingers through his messy green hair; when he lowered his hand, he realized that it was still shaking. He felt so helpless, and with another long sigh, he finally began the long walk back towards the other side of town, thinking of where to stop on the way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Author’s Note: ‘Nico’ and ‘Jackie’ in this story are OCs and have no association to the Fire Emblem series.**

* * *

“After that, they—are you even listening?”

“Huh?” Cain turned his head towards Abel as he heard the other’s tone change. He had been staring out the window of the small restaurant where they were seated; it was hard to see out of it past the reflection of the inside, and he was squinting, focusing his attention on that instead of on his partner. “Yeah, I’m listening. What happened then?”

Abel frowned. There had been no further incidents for the past two weeks, and the tension had slowly faded as they settled back into their usual routine. Tonight, however, Cain was acting up again, constantly casting distracted glances out the window. Abel dropped what he was saying; it hadn’t been all that important in the first place. “Is everything okay? You’ve barely touched your food.”

“Not really hungry, I had a big lunch.” Cain answered too quickly. An awkward silence came again, hanging over them like a smothering curtain. Abel shifted in his seat uncomfortably; it was so odd for there to be so much tension, and it drove him nuts to not know what the source of it was. It shocked him how he could feel lonely when his best friend and partner was sitting right in front of him, but Cain wasn’t exactly _there_ ; his mind was somewhere else entirely.

“Maybe we should go,” Abel suggested. He had noticed how Cain’s uneasiness always seemed to rise the later it got, and the daylight was fading quickly.

“No!” Cain’s voice came out a bit too loud, and he quickly cleared his throat and quieted himself. “I mean, don’t you want to order something else?” He grabbed the menu from where it was sitting on the end the table and thumbed through it.

“I thought you weren’t hungry?” Abel raised an eyebrow at the contradiction.

Cain’s face went a shade lighter as he paled, knowing that Abel was on to him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. They couldn’t stay in the restaurant forever; they’d already been there for quite a long time. He would have to face what was waiting outside sooner or later. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

After paying and standing to leave, Cain took Abel’s hand in a tight grip, walking closely next to him. They stepped outside into the chilled air; it was the middle of winter, and it was freezing, but it hadn’t rained since the night of the power outage, so ice wasn’t a worry. Even so, Cain hadn’t wanted to drive again, and Abel couldn’t help but assume it had something to do with their harasser who had stalked them last time.

Standing just outside the door, Cain turned to face his partner, unable to hide the worried look that glinted in his eye. “Look, Abel,” the redhead murmured in a low voice. “Get home as fast as you can, but don’t run and don’t panic. As soon as you turn around to go, don’t look back, no matter what, okay?”

Abel bit down on his lip; Cain was doing it again, being vague and giving him strange instructions. “Okay… I’ll call you when I get there.”

Cain shook his head. “Don’t, not this time. Just get home and lock your door. I’ll call you when I can.”

The green-haired man didn’t like the sound of that, but what choice did he have? “Cain… please be careful.” Abel waited until the other gave a small nod before turning around; following the redhead’s instructions, he walked quickly down the street, not hesitating and turning the corner without looking behind him.

Cain watched him go, letting out a long sigh; a cloud of steam came from his lips as his hot breath hit the cold air. Not a moment after his partner disappeared, he felt a meaty hand settling on his shoulder, and he pulled away immediately, whirling around to see a heavyset man with a hard face; his greasy, long black hair was pulled into low ponytail.

“Nico…” Cain heard himself whispering the strange man’s name, but he didn’t realize he had even spoken. His heart felt as if it had dropped into his stomach, but he controlled himself, not letting any emotion show on his face.

“It’s been awhile, Cain,” the raven-haired man spoke normal words, but there wasn’t even a trace of friendliness in his gravelly voice. “Me’n the guys don’t usually come this far up this way, but we decided to make a special trip, just for you.”

“How kind of you,” Cain responded dryly, his auburn eyes narrowing as he subtly took a step backwards, getting prepared to run. “What the fuck do you want, Nicky?”

“Haha, funny guy. _Don’t_ call me that.” Nico’s fake laugh was followed by a harsh punch to Cain’s shoulder; the latter had to take another step back from the force of it. As he did so, his back hit the chest of someone who had moved behind him while he was focused on the Nico, blocking off his planned escape route.

Cain darted to the side, prepared for flight rather than fight, but he had been too close to the person behind him, and they reached out to seize his arm, yanking him back.

“Where are you off to so quickly? Don’t you miss your old friend?” Nico leaned down to sneer in Cain’s face. The raven-haired man stood about 6’5”, four inches taller than Cain; he was wider in girth as well, but not necessarily stronger.

The redhead’s face finally showed signs of emotion, but it was only anger as he tried to wrench away from the one grabbing his arm; he was unsuccessful, and ended up with both of his arms immobilized.

Cain was strong, but they had pinned his arms behind his back, and although he struggled mightily as they dragged him down the long alley behind the building, he couldn’t free himself. Reaching the end of it, the man holding him pushed forward harshly, and he barely got his arms up in time to stop himself from smashing his face into the wall of the dead end. Turning around, a scowl decorated his face; there was only one way out of the dark alley, and it was blocked. His auburn eyes glanced around the alley, looking for anything he could use, but he seemed to be out of options.

* * *

 

Abel opened the door to his flat, heaving a sigh as he closed the door behind him and slid the deadbolt into a place; it had become a habit now, ever since the first strange incident with Cain so long ago. He’d made it home without incident, and he flopped on the couch, pulling his mobile out of his pocket. He almost began to dial his partner’s number, and then remembered that Cain had told him not to this time. Frowning, he set the phone down on the coffee table, staring at it for a moment, almost expecting it to start ringing.

It didn’t, and an uncomfortable silence washed over the apartment; he jumped at the sudden sound of the heater kicking on. When had he started feeling so unsafe in his own home? He didn’t know. Most of his worry stemmed from how Cain had acted; he’d been strange before, but never so worrisome, and Abel couldn’t stop the sinking feeling in his stomach. There was nothing he could do, but he doubted he would get any sleep if he tried.

He just sat on the couch, drawing his legs up towards his chest and reaching over to flick the television on. He didn’t really want to watch it, but the monotonous noise of the boring news anchor held some comfort; it was better than sitting in silence. Sighing again, he kept his gaze locked on the phone, but didn’t pick it up, fighting the urge to call Cain; instead, he just prayed for the other’s safety.

* * *

“We’ve got you cornered like a rat.” Nico’s triumphant voice came from middle of the group as the bulky man stepped forward from the shadows, into the light once more.

“That’s odd, because _you’re_ the vermin of the city,” Cain spat back, anger shining in his auburn eyes. He had wanted to avoid this, but there was no getting out of it now.

“Still trying to make jokes, Cain?” Nico’s low voice came out without humor as he took long strides over towards the redhead; without warning, he threw out his meaty fist, connecting it with Cain’s jaw before the other could react. Cain staggered back with a grunt, raising a hand to rub his sore jaw where a bruise was already forming. “See, now that’s funny. Don’t you agree?” A wide smile suddenly appeared on the bulky man’s face, and he lashed out again, laughing obnoxiously as he slammed his fist into Cain’s stomach. The latter doubled over, gasping as the air was knocked out of him.

Moving away from Nico, Cain quickly caught his breath, glaring at the black-haired man. Even in the dim light, he could see that the bulky man’s eyes were red and bloodshot. “What drugs are you taking now? Do you even know, or are you just snorting everything you can get your grimy hands on?”

Nico grinned at this, showing off rotten and yellowed teeth. “You’ve got quite the mouth tonight, Cain,” he sneered, quickly approaching the redhead. “Time to put it to good use.” Not wasting any more time, Nico seized Cain by the throat, throwing his back against the wall, keeping just a tight enough grip on the other’s windpipe to make it increasingly uncomfortable. Cain could still breathe, but barely, and the longer he waited to talk the harder it would be. “You know what I want,” Nico growled, his unforgiving dark brown eyes started into Cain’s bright auburn gaze. “Where is it?” Cain was silent, making no noise except for slight gasps for air, and anger sparked in Nico’s eyes. “ _Where is it!_?” His voice had raised to a yell as spit flew from his mouth.

Cain dug his nails into the hand that was around his throat, trying to pry it off, but he was quickly losing strength from lack of air. He lashed out with his leg instead, throwing his knee up and slamming the point of it into Nico’s abdomen. The other grunted, his grip loosening for just a second, and Cain wrenched away, staggering for a few steps and almost falling as he gasped to regain the breath he had lost; the cold, dry air burned his throat.

“Don’t want to talk anymore?” Nico’s voice was suddenly much too calm, and Cain straightened up, narrowing his eyes at the sudden change in tone. “Whatever… I bet that green-haired bitch you’re always hanging around knows something.” He smirked as he saw Cain’s expression change. “If you won’t tell me… perhaps I’ll pay him a visit.”

“Stay away from him,” Cain snarled, feeling anger brewing in his chest at the way Nico talked about Abel. “He’s got nothing to do with this.”

Nico’s disturbing grin only grew wider as he saw how his words had gotten Cain riled up. “Maybe not. That won’t make killing him any less enjoyable.”

“You’re a fucking monster!” Cain couldn’t control his anger at the threat, and he charged forward, lashing out with incredible force. He had expected Nico to duck from the punch, and when he did, Cain used his strong thighs to throw his leg out, connected his heel with the black-haired man’s cheek.

Nico grunted in surprise, falling to the ground; he had ducked low, and was off balance when Cain kicked him. The redhead lifted his leg once more, about to shove his foot into Nico’s face, when the larger man grabbed his ankle. Cain struggled to keep his balance on one foot, trying to withdraw his leg; just before he pulled back mightily, Nico let go. Cain couldn’t stop his backwards force in time; he staggered and fell, but climbed back to his feet before his opponent gained any advantage.

Cain dashed forward again, hurling his fists towards Nico in quick, solid punches. The raven-haired man threw his arms up to block the attacks, stopping them short each time, but Cain was coming at him with such force that he had to take a couple steps backward. He quickly realized that the redhead was trying to beat his way out of the alley; Nico growled in anger, planting his feet firmly on the ground and not lowering his arms, but the drugs in his system, on top of years of prior use, were slowing him down. For a long time, he matched Cain’s pace, but he missed one chance to block, and the redhead’s hard punch landed right on his cheekbone. As Nico grunted in pain and surprise, Cain didn’t waste a single moment, breaking through his enemy’s defenses and connecting his fist with Nico’s face as hard as he could, not holding back. He would kill the other, if he had to, to protect Abel.

Cain went on for just a bit too long, and Nico dodged the last punch; he grabbed Cain’s outstretched arm, pulling the surprised redhead forward and wrenched his arm around to be pinned behind his back, shoving Cain against the wall of the alley.

Adrenaline was pumping through Cain’s body. He stomped on Nico’s foot, grinding his heel into the other’s toes, and then used his free arm to shove the point of his elbow into his enemy’s stomach. Once freed, he whirled around, quickly stretching the arm that had been pinned, testing it; it was fine.

Nico paused, a few steps away from Cain. He wiped away a bit of blood that trickled from his mouth; the result of one of many punches. “You always were the only one who could give me a challenge, Cain.”

“You say that as if Jackie wasn’t always kicking your ass into next week.” Cain had picked his words carefully, his auburn eyes narrowing to judge the raven-haired man’s reaction.

Nico twitched obviously at the name; his smirk morphed into an angry scowl. “I’ll be twice the man Jackie was,” he snarled angrily. “Twice the _monster_ , if that’s what you call it!” He lunged forward, arms outstretched to grab Cain again.

This was exactly what the redhead had been expecting, and he darted out of the way. Whipping around, Cain kicked his leg into the bulky man’s back, sending him slamming face-first forcefully into the wall of the alley. He doubted Nico would ever be quite as terrible as Jackie had been, but he was certainly pulling a close second.

Cain was surprised; he hadn’t expected Nico to recover so quickly, and he certainly hadn’t expected him to turn around and lunge forward, knocking into Cain’s chest to shove him to the ground. They rolled around on the hard floor in a flurry of limbs, punching, biting, kicking, and shouting obscenities. Cain finally got the upper hand, using his knee to pin Nico to the ground; he pummeled into the other mercilessly with his fists. All he could think of was the way Nico had threatened Abel, and that imagine just sent rage boiling throughout him; there was no way he would ever let that happen.

After a few more moments of shoving his fists into Nico’s face, beating the other black and blue, Cain felt hands gripping on to his arms, dragging him away; he struggled, but the two people grabbing either side of him had caught him off guard. He managed to land one last kick to Nico’s side before being yanked out range. Cain hadn’t gotten off easy either; cuts and bruises littered his body, stinging in the cold night air.

He tried to escape the grasp of the people holding him, but couldn’t, and they shoved him away from Nico. Breathing hard, puffs of steam came from his mouth as his hot breath hit the cold air, and he finally freed himself from the grip of Nico’s cronies.

The latter was already standing, wiping away a bit of blood that had gotten in his eye from a deep scratch in his forehead. “I’m tired of this,” he spat, turning around. For a short moment, Cain thought he was turning to leave, and he debated jumping on the other from behind while he was distracted, but didn’t have time to think more about it. He heard Nico’s weapon before he saw it; the familiar sound of metal clicking with metal, and he felt his heart drop when the other turned around, holding in his hand the source of the noise. He gripped tightly to a small gun, no bigger than a pistol, but much more deadly. “I’ll ask you one more time,” Nico said calmly, raising the gun and pointing it straight towards Cain. “Where is it?”

Cain was stunned silent for a moment, and he took a step back, but there was nowhere to escape in the dead end of the alley. “Nico, wait…”

“Wrong answer.” _Bang!_ A thunderous roar echoed through the alley as Nico fired. Cain hurled his body to the side; he had started moving before the trigger had been pulled, and he felt the bullet rocketing by, narrowly missing him; it ricocheted off the concrete wall and bounced somewhere unseen.

 _Bang!_ This one went over his head as Cain dropped to the floor; he quickly hopped to his feet, diving to the side to avoid the next shot. _Bang!_

He didn’t know how he had possibly avoided Nico’s firing; the adrenaline in Cain’s system was speeding up his movements, while the drugs in Nico’s were slowing his. _Bang_! The next bullet nearly grazed him, and he could feel the disturbance in the air where it had whizzed by much too close. Cain didn’t know how long he could keep this up. Nico had started tracking his movements with the gun instead of firing blindly, and there was nowhere for him to hide or rest.

_Bang!_

A choked noise came from Cain as the fifth bullet finally found its mark, burying itself deep in the flesh of his lower stomach. Intense heat flared throughout his body, and he pressed his hand against his abdomen, feeling wetness soaking through his shirt and spilling out over his fingers; it was thick and sticky on his hand. He stood on wobbly feet, staring down towards his blood-soaked waist in disbelief.

Nico approached him quickly. Without warning, he raised the gun and bashed it against Cain’s head, knocking the other to the ground where he fell with a loud thud and a pained grunt. His shoulders were shaking violently as he writhed, clutching at his waist, but he soon stopped, the movements only intensifying the pain. He lay as still as he could, but with each gasping breath terrible pain coursed through his body in waves.

“Never mind… I’ll find it on my own.” Nico knelt down beside the gasping Cain; that bitterly disgusting smile had formed on his face again. “What a waste. You could have had so much, you know... But you were stubborn until the end.”

Tears of pain flowed out of Cain’s eyes, blurring his vision, and he could taste blood as it trickled from his mouth. His shirt was soaked with the sticky red liquid, and it puddled around him as it leaked from his abdomen in a continuous stream. He didn’t dare move, for fear of worsening the agony, and there was nothing he could do to escape the raven-haired man that hovered over him. _I’m sorry, Abel…_ He wasn’t even surprised that his last thoughts were of his partner; he just wished they could have been less pathetic.

He could feel the cold barrel of the gun on his skin as Nico shoved the muzzle of it to the side of his head. Cain squeezed his eyes shut; he was barely holding on to consciousness, but he was still coherent enough to feel tremendous fear. He didn’t want to die, not like this, at the mercy of a madman, he had to get up, he didn’t want to die, he had to fight back and he didn’t want to die but there was only the heat of his abdomen and the iciness of the gun as it pressed into his temple and he was scared and he didn’t want to die and he couldn’t leave Abel and oh Gods he didn’t want to die—

 _Click_.

…

_Click, click._

Cain was still letting out shaky breaths, and he didn’t know why. The pain hadn’t lessened, but the feeling of the icy barrel of the gun was no longer on his skin. There was a moment of silent tension, and then he made a loud noise of pain; he felt the side of the gun connecting with his cheekbone as Nico smashed it into his face, consolation for the lack of bullets.

“Just leave him. He’ll die on his own.”

The gravelly voice was hard to hear over the sound of his own breathing as he gasped for air on the ground. Cain was in too much agony to think, but he vaguely processed the words, along with the sound of cursing; it sounded muffled and distant. The footsteps of the retreating men were like thunder as Cain’s ear pressed to the ground.

Soon he was left by himself in the dark alley, his tortured body burning with heat that even the freezing night air couldn’t help. He was hurt and alone… but he was alive, and he needed to stay that way.

After a few more moments, he risked movement, and immediately regretted it. The pain in his body had become a dull throb, but once he moved it was refreshed and the searing heat spread throughout him again; he let out a small cry, frustrated in his inability to move. He couldn’t get up; that much was obvious. What could he do? He was growing lightheaded from the blood loss, and it didn’t feel as if it would stop any time soon.

Suddenly, his tear-blurred eyes opened wider as he remembered the small device that he had in his pocket. A mobile phone; such an ordinary object, but now seemed like a miraculous gift. He had to stretch to reach it, sending more waves of the burning heat through his abdomen; he clenched his teeth together, biting back screams of pain as he struggled to yank the phone from his pocket.

His thoughts were swimming in his head, and he knew he didn’t have much longer before his consciousness faded; if that happened, it was all over. With shaky hands, he tried to work the phone, but the sticky redness on his fingers made it hard to do what he wanted. He tapped numbers, praying that he had hit the right ones, and heard the phone began to dial; he doubted he’d have enough energy to do it again, so this had to be it.

* * *

Marth had been sitting on a comfortable couch with his knees drawn up to his chest, engrossed in one of his favorite novels, when his phone rang. His face showed signs of annoyance, and he rolled his ocean blue eyes as he pulled the device out of his pocket, not even checking to see who was calling. He wasn’t sure why he was bothering to answer it, but it was probably something he would have to deal with sooner or later; he’d rather it be sooner. “Hello?”

“ _Hey, Marth, it’s Abel.”_

Marth blinked in surprise, the annoyance on his face fading; of all the people he had been expecting a call from, Abel was not one of them. “Oh, hey.” He noted the undertone of worry in the other’s casual greeting, and decided to get straight to the point. “Is something wrong?”

 _“No—well, maybe.”_ Even over the phone, Marth could hear the confliction in the other’s voice. “ _Listen, Marth, have you noticed Cain acting weird lately?”_

“Weird how?” Marth’s eyes narrowed, and a bit of suspicion crept into his voice.

_“Just… Always on edge. It’s been like this for a while… We went out tonight and he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from the window, like he was looking for something.”_

Marth scowled to himself. He’d slightly noticed Cain’s odd behavior, but hadn’t thought anything of it. Now, though, with Abel sounding so concerned, he began to feel a sinking feeling in his stomach; it sounded like Cain was getting himself into trouble again. “Not something… someone.” Marth mumbled the words, barely loud enough to be heard. “Where were you tonight?” As Abel told him, Marth stood, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he slipped on his shoes. “Okay. Stay inside, Abel, don’t go looking for him. I’ll handle it.”

 _“Dammit Marth, what’s—”_ Marth clicked the phone off before Abel finished his frustrated question. He slipped his jacket on over his shoulders and was halfway out the door when his phone rang again. He expected it to be Abel again, but when he glanced at the ID, he saw a different name, and he answered it immediately.

“Cain?” He didn’t even bother with a hello, just wanting to confirm that it was in fact the redhead on the other end of the line.

 _“Marth…”_ The navy-haired male could hear Cain’s voice weakly saying his name, followed by heavy breathing; the connection was full of static, and he could barely hear the other. _“Marth, they got me bad…”_

“I’m on my way.” Marth was running, out of his building and into the cold night air. “Stay on the phone with me. Where are you?”

 _“I’m… behind…”_ The static wasn’t as heavy, but Cain’s faded voice stopped coming after a couple more words, before he could describe his location. Still, Marth could hear raspy breathing coming from the other end, confirming that the redhead was still alive.

“Hang on, Cain, I’m almost there.” He didn’t have long, and Marth picked up his pace, sprinting with long strides; the place Abel had told him was his only clue to Cain’s location, and he prayed that he would find his friend in time. The other’s life depended on it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Abel startled himself awake, his bright green eyes flying open as he made himself dizzy with how fast he sat up. He spent a few groggy moments trying to figure out where he was, and then he recalled he had crashed on the couch last night, after—!

He suddenly remembered the events of the night before, and how vague Cain had been; Marth hadn’t been much help, giving the same vague instructions to stay inside. He hated not being able to do anything, but at the same time, he wasn’t entirely sure what it was he could be doing. It was too early for him to be plagued with these kinds of thoughts, and he yawned, rubbing sleep away from his eyes. He picked up his phone that was sitting on the table, checking it, but he still hadn’t received a call from Cain. This worried him, and he frowned, setting the device back down, wondering if he should just call the other first.

The television was still on, playing news with a different boring news anchor. Just as Abel was reaching for the remote to turn off the droning noise, he faintly processed a couple of words that the newswoman was speaking. “—received reports of a gunfight late last night.”

Abel’s eyes widened as he suddenly began to pay attention, not turning off the television as he had planned. The woman on the screen was telling of an event that had happened the night before, and the more he listened, he felt his heart dropping in his chest. It had happened in the area where he and Cain had been, but even so, he was trying to convince himself that everything was alright. He was failing in this, unable to tear his gaze away from the dull-eyed reporter.

“Witnesses describe hearing five shots in quick succession. There are no current leads on the perpetrator, but the victim was identified as —” That was the point when Abel stopped listening; not out of choice, but because he had gasped too loudly to hear what the anchor was saying. On the screen was a fuzzy picture of Cain, his face recognizable even through the bad quality of the photo. Abel’s hand flew to his mouth, covering it to muffle a loud noise that he almost didn’t realize was coming from him.

The chase, Cain’s suspicious behavior, the gunman of two weeks ago; it was all connecting, and Abel desperately wished it wasn’t. His heart was pounding as he snatched the phone off the table, and his shaky hands dropped it before he could do anything. As it landed on the floor it started ringing, and he grabbed it; to his surprise, the ID on the phone showed Cain’s name, and he answered it immediately. “Cain!?” He practically yelled into the phone, on the verge of hysteria.

“ _Calm down, Abel, Cain is fine.”_ It was Marth’s voice, not the one he had been expecting; the navy-haired man was using Cain’s phone rather than his own, probably to make sure that Abel answered.

“Where is he? What’s going on?” Abel was trying to control the volume of his voice, but he couldn’t hide his excessive concern. His heart pounded loudly in his chest, overwhelmed with fear for Cain’s life.

_“We’re at the hospital. Look, it’s probably for the best that you don’t see him right now.”_

That didn’t answer Abel’s question. “What the hell happened?” He demanded, clutching tightly to the phone as he held it to his ear.

_“He got into a bit of a scrap. He’ll be fine, he just—”_ Marth cut off suddenly, but the phone didn’t hang up. In the background, Abel could hear the sound of another voice, and he couldn’t stop a giant breath of relief as he recognized it to be Cain’s.

_“Who are you talking to?”_

_“No one, go back to sleep.”_

_“Is it Abel? Let me talk to him.”_

_“No, you need to—hey, stop! Stop, fine, here’s the phone, just lay back down.”_

There was the sound of rustling for what seemed like an eternity before Cain’s voice finally came through the phone clearly, with a hopeful tone. _“Abel?”_

Abel couldn’t stop a bit of intensely relieved laughter from escaping his mouth as he heard the other’s voice. “Gods, Cain, what happened?”

_“It was nothing, really, I’m alright. It’s fine, Abel.”_

“How can you say that when you just got _shot_? Gods, you could have _died_!” Abel was trying not to panic again, but he couldn’t deal with being told everything was fine any longer. His usually calm and quiet voice was loud and demanding. “I need to know what’s going on. Now.”

“ _The bullet barely grazed me, everyone’s just overreacting.”_ Abel could hear Cain’s defeated sigh over the phone after he realized that his words didn’t hold much comfort. _“Alright, alright… Listen, I probably won’t be able to leave for a while, so if you really want to know, you’ll have to come here.”_

Abel vaguely remembered Marth’s warning, but he simply couldn’t be sated by false comfort any longer. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

_“O-oh, okay.”_ It was clear in Cain’s voice that he hadn’t expected the other to arrive so soon; Abel detected a bit of nervousness as well. _“I’ll see you then…”_

As the phone clicked off, Abel almost dropped it again. The droning news was still playing on the television, but it had moved to a different topic, and he reached over to finally shut it off. He heaved a sigh, rubbing his temple, not entirely sure if he was prepared for what Cain was going to tell him. All he wanted was for the other to be safe; was that really so much to ask for?

* * *

 

Cain handed the phone back to Marth as he hung up, a frown on his face. The navy-haired male was scowling back at him.

“Was it really a good idea to tell Abel to come here?”

“He has to find out sooner or later.” Cain shrugged weakly; he had hidden everything from his partner for so long, but it seemed like that would no longer be possible. The bright fluorescent light of the hospital room was giving him a headache, and he leaned back against the bed. A hand reached to put pressure on his throbbing midsection, but he regretted that action almost immediately, and he instinctively groaned as he pulled away.

Marth’s face softened; it was hard to be mad at Cain when he was in such a state. After all, it hadn’t been his fault… this time, anyway. “The doctor came in earlier. He said if the bullet had hit you another inch to the left you’d be a goner.” He shook his head almost in disbelief, a small smile on his face. “You’re one lucky motherfucker, you know that?”

Cain only offered a sheepish smile and another shrug. He wouldn’t really consider getting caught in a situation like the one he had been in a lucky experience… but if it couldn’t have been avoided, then he had gotten off fairly decently. He shifted uncomfortably, examining the miscellaneous rods connected to his arms. He wasn’t familiar with anything medical, and the fact that there was a pole with a container of blood sitting on it that seemed to be dripping directly into his arm was really creeping him out. Hospitals had always made him nervous; he’d spent too many bad nights in them. Reaching down again, the cords moving as he did, he began to mess with the bandages around his waist almost absentmindedly.

“Stop picking at your bandages.” Marth’s scolding voice came once more.

“Oh…” Cain stopped, not realizing what he had been doing. The room fell into silence again, and he looked around the small room for a minute. It was bland-looking and plain, the only decoration being a small potted plant that sat on the windowsill. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, figuring a bit of rest would do him well before his partner’s inevitable arrival.

* * *

 

It seemed as if only a few moments had passed before Cain was being roused, and when he opened his auburn eyes, they met with Abel’s bright green ones as the other hovered over his bed. Sitting up, he noticeably flinched, accidentally disturbing his wound as he moved.

“Careful…” Abel murmured in his gentle voice, using his hand to support the redhead’s back and ease him up. “How are you feeling?”

Cain rubbed sleep away from his eyes. The light coming from the window was much dimmer than it had been when he had leaned back earlier; he must have been asleep for a while, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. “Tired,” he breathed, shifting to get more comfortable on the bed that he was already sick of. His eyes closed again; his energy had depleted quickly, and the short rest hadn’t been quite enough.

Marth was still in the room, one leg crossed over the other as he read a novel to pass the time while waiting for Abel to arrive. Once the other did, he nodded a small hello, closing the book but still holding it. He stood, approaching Cain’s bedside and lifted a small bottle of pills, handing them to Abel. “Give him two of these and wait a minute before you talk.”

Abel nodded, taking the container. “Are you staying…?”

The navy-haired male shook his head. “I’ll give you two some privacy. If you need me I’ll just be in the lobby.”

“Ah, okay.” Abel nodded once more. As the other began to leave, he turned around, catching his attention. “Marth…”

Marth stopped, casting a glance over his shoulder. “Hmm?”

“… Thank you.” Abel was smiling, the gratitude obvious in his eyes. He didn’t know what had happened, but he had a feeling that Marth had played some part in keeping his partner alive. The other responded with only a small smile and a nod, before exiting the room.

Abel turned back to the resting Cain, his face softening as he saw the relaxed face of his lover, and he almost didn’t want to disturb him. It seemed he didn’t have to, as the redhead opened his eyes on his own, blinking himself awake once more. His face noticeably contorted in pain, and he reached over to the bedside stand, blindly reaching for something.

Realizing what Cain wanted, Abel popped open the container that Marth had given him, dumping two of the small white pills into his hand. “Here,” he offered them to Cain; the other took them quickly, chasing them down with an almost-empty water bottle that was also on the stand.

As instructed, he waited a few minutes, moving the chair that was in the room closer to the bed so he could be next to Cain as they talked. Abel examined his bedridden partner; the redhead had quite the collection of nasty bruises on him, cuts and scrapes littering his body. Most of them had been treated already, but Abel shuddered to think how bad they must have been before. A silence full of tension filled the room; it was an odd feeling, tension being an uncommon occurrence between them.

“So…” Cain finally said awkwardly, casting a quick glance in Abel’s direction and then averting his gaze.

“I need to know what’s going on. Start from the beginning.” Abel didn’t want to waste any more time.

“The beginning…?” Cain’s face showed signs of discomfort, but he knew that his partner was right; nothing else would make sense if he didn’t talk about how it had started. The only problem was that he didn’t really know where to begin, and he hesitated.

“Who is the raven-haired man? He seems to be quite involved in this.” Abel tried to get Cain started, figuring that if he began, he would be able to keep going.

“Oh… That’s Nico. One of the nastiest men I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowing.” Bitterness was obvious in Cain’s voice. “Of course, I didn’t know that when I met him…” He trailed off, thinking about how to word what he wanted to say. “Well, I didn’t really have the best childhood,” he began, following his words with an awkward chuckle, not really wanting to elaborate on that. “That’s cliché, I know. I was about twelve when Nico found me passed out in a gutter, surrounded by broken beer bottles and using a newspaper for a blanket.” He winced as he recalled the memory. “He took me in, offered me a home and family. How could I refuse?”

Abel nodded, having a vague idea of where this was going.

“I didn’t think he was a bad guy. Of course, a lot of things he did were… questionable, but I was still blinded by the fact that he saved my life to notice, and when I did notice, I just let it slide, not wanting to risk losing the only people that I could call a family…” He paused, realizing he had mentioned family twice without exactly saying who. “It was such a mixed group of people. Nobody really belonged anywhere so we all gathered together, and it took me a long time to realize that they were spitting venom on anyone outside of our little ‘family’.”

Cain shifted where he lay, not even wincing as he moved. The pills had kicked in, numbing the pain in his abdomen, and he reached for the bottle of water beside his bed, finishing it off before continuing.

“I never questioned their hatred. After all, these people were the only friends I had, and I didn’t want to go back to how I had been. The worst, though… The worst of them all was Jackie. I never realized it; in fact, I looked up to him. I _admired_ this man, wanted to be like him. Jackie was Nico’s older brother, and he treated me as if I were his brother as well, asking me to do special favors and giving me extra praise. I did everything I could to please him, even when my own sense of morality screamed at me not to. I… did some things I’m not proud of.” He couldn’t meet Abel’s gaze as he spoke, and instead just stared out of the window where the dim light was fading, staying quiet for a few moments.

Abel had been silent through all of this, but now he spoke, in a soft voice. “Something happened,” he gently urged Cain to continue. “What caused you to stray?”

The redhead gave a small sigh before he kept going with his story. “The violence was the worst part. I did a lot of bad things—stealing, vandalizing, you name it. But no one ever got hurt. Jackie had no problem with doing his own dirty work, but on the occasion that he wanted me to do it for him, I just refused. I couldn’t. He would take Nico along instead, and they’d scorn me, calling me weak and threatening to abandon me if I didn’t do what they asked. After realizing what they wanted me to do, my old life suddenly didn’t look so bad. But that’s how the saying goes, right…? The grass always seems greener on the other side.” He let out a small chuckle, but it had no humor in it. “When I didn’t have anyone, the promise of a family was irresistible. The kind of family I got myself into made me wish that I didn’t have one again.”

This certainly was a lot for Abel to take in, but he listened intently. Cain’s words were getting smoother; the more he talked, the easier it was.

“They never did abandon me, despite their threats. Nothing really changed for a long time—about eight years. I basically grew up in that dump of a home. Jackie was the head of our family—“ he suddenly cut off, frowning. “I should stop calling it that. It wasn’t a family at all… it was a _gang_.” He shook his head, taking a deep breath before moving on. “Anyway, the point is that Jackie had connections. He strolled into our little camp one day with a gun hanging on his belt, and I nearly fled right then and there.” He shuddered at the memory. “He had a whole collection. I never knew where he got them from—I still don’t. They were small things, probably wouldn’t do much damage, but they were frightening anyway.” Cain hesitated. “One day he came with a gun that he couldn’t hide. It was huge, bigger than any I’d seen before; he needed two hands just to aim it. It was his prized possession, and he began to bring it around more often, but never using it for anything. I didn’t want any part in what he was planning with it; he’d never included me in the schemes with violence anymore, knowing that I would be more trouble than it was worth. But one time, he approached me with it, with that disgusting smirk on his face, asking me to follow him…” Cain’s eyes closed he got caught up in the memory.

“Cain,” Abel said his name to bring him back to the present, and the redhead’s auburn eyes flew open. “What happened then?”

“Sorry… It was strange. He always took Nico with him, but this time he left his brother out, and it was only me. We went far from where I usually stayed; I didn’t know where we were, but we were alone behind some building when he finally told me his plan.” There was another pause; his talking had gotten easier with the other subjects, but now, it was hard again. “The building we were behind… it was a school. He had taken this gun and wanted to point it at _kids_. I asked him, what the hell did he want with them? They couldn’t give him money or drugs or any of the things he wanted. His answer was that he wanted fun. He wanted to slaughter a bunch of kids just for shits and giggles. And who could stop him, with a gun that size?” Cain balled his hands into fists, his jaw clenched tightly.

Abel frowned, seeing Cain’s anger. “You didn’t do it,” he said; a statement, not a question.

Cain hesitated. “He knew I didn’t want to; forcing me to go along with it gave him sort of sadistic pleasure. So… I told him I would.”

Abel’s eyes widened in surprise, but he said nothing.

“He practically threw the gun at me. It was heavy, I could barely hold it, even at 20 years old; I was underfed and overdosed and didn’t have much strength. He never noticed my nervousness, too caught up in the twisted idea of finally getting me to commit an act so horrible. As soon as he gave me the signal to go, I took a few steps forward… and I turned around and shot Jackie instead.”

Abel didn’t know how to respond; the words stirred up only the slightest bit of surprise; he had almost been expecting that outcome. Cain continued before he even had a chance to try, not wanting to dwell on that part for any longer.

 “Nico admired his brother even more than I did, and he had much more potential—and certainly the willingness—to take his place. He was pissed when he realized what I had done. He never forgave me… I never expected him to.”

“And the gun? What happened to it?” The amount of hesitation that Cain did before responding gave Abel his answer. “Oh Gods, Cain. Please don’t tell me that you have it…” His green eyes were narrowing in concern.

“It’s unusable,” Cain defended himself. “I broke it and scattered the parts. All I have is the shell.”

Abel rubbed his temple, still struggling to take everything in. “Marth knows all this?” he questioned; the other male seemed to have a fairly decent idea of what was going on, too, but he hadn’t been mentioned.

Cain nodded his head. “Pretty much. I ran into him pretty often on the streets, but we were never more than acquaintances; he was always on the other side, you know? Never involved in the bad shit I was doing.” Cain laughed softly, pausing yet again before continuing. “He found me freaking out over Jackie’s body, and took me to the hospital. I don’t remember much after that, only that he was able to cover up what I had done. I don’t really know why he did it, but I’m grateful. He probably felt pity, because he kept checking on me, even when he didn’t have to. We became pretty good friends, and he continued to visit even after I recovered. He’s a good guy under that stoic mask.”

Abel nodded slowly, and another silence filled the room.  The topic had strayed, and it was unclear how to get back on track. Finally, Abel spoke again; not all of his questions had been answered. “Nico did this to you?” He frowned as Cain nodded. “Why’s he after you now, if it’s been so long?”

Cain shrugged his shoulders, a conflicted expression on his face. He had started to absentmindedly fiddle with his bandages again. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I distanced myself from him and cut all ties to anyone I knew from then. My guess is that he was waiting for me to let my guard down before making a move; it worked, too. After four years of being clean, I had almost forgotten that he had even been a part of my life.”

“What does he even want you for?”

Cain flinched, and Abel almost regretted asking the question. “It’s complicated… None of us ever really had personal possessions. Everything we got, we shared. But that gun… that was _Jackie’s_ gun. No one could touch it. When he was gone it was the only thing left that could really prove he even existed at all. Nico wants it.”

“I don’t understand. If it’s unusable, why can’t he just have it?”

Cain shook his head. “I’ve never seen another like it. There’s no way I’m letting Nico get his hands on this one. If I keep it somewhere where I can always know where it is, there’s no chance of him being able to have it. I never knew where the two of them got their materials, but I don’t want to risk them being able to repair it.”

Abel didn’t like it, but he understood what Cain was saying. He had noticed that his partner’s words had started to slow, but he had dismissed it as the other’s tiredness. He knew that they should probably wrap this up; Cain needed to rest to recover, and telling such a story of his history had probably worn him out. “Alright… Is there anything else I should know?”

“As long as I’m coming clean about everything… The bullet, uh… Well, it didn’t just graze me.” Cain’s words were becoming incredibly slower now, almost slurred. The pills had been numbing his pain, but his picking at the bandages had disturbed his wound. “I feel kind of dizzy…”

Abel jumped to his feet, concern obvious on his face. His gaze had been locked on Cain’s face for the majority of their conversation, but now he glanced down to the other’s abdomen, and gasped. Blood had seeped through the bandages, staining the cloth a dark maroon, and it was spreading fast. He hadn’t even noticed that his partner had been bleeding, too focused on their intense conversation. “Don’t move,” he commanded, turning around to dash out of the room. He had assumed that the wound had been worse than Cain had originally let on, but he hadn’t expected it to be that bad, and he rushed to fetch the nurse.

* * *

The green-haired man sighed as he hovered just outside of Cain’s room; the other was sleeping once more, his bandages refreshed and the bleeding stopped. To Abel’s surprise, Marth was still there. He seemed to have been daydreaming, staring off into space and hardly noticing when Abel had rushed out. Even now, he barely noticed the other’s presence, only turning when he heard his name.

“Look, Marth… I’m grateful, but… Why did you help him?” Abel’s voice was quiet as he leaned against the wall outside of the room that Cain was in, in a similar position to Marth who was only another foot or so away.

“He’s my friend,” Marth responded vaguely with a small shrug.

“You know what I mean,” Abel challenged, turning to look at the navy-haired male. “That time. Why did you help him, when you didn’t even know him?”

Marth smirked, finding Abel’s intense stare rather amusing. “You think Cain was Jackie’s only victim?” He was correctly assuming that the redhead had told his partner everything. “I’ve got my reasons, too.” He left it at that, not elaborating, and Abel didn’t ask him to.

They were quiet for a while; Abel shifted awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do. He didn’t really want to leave Cain, but the redhead was fast asleep, and there was no reason for him to stay. “So… What happens now?” His question was vague, but he was hoping that Marth could at least give him some hint of what he should do.

Marth glanced over towards Abel, as he had forgotten that the green-haired man was there. “Nico’s probably going to be pissed that Cain’s still alive, but he won’t be suspicious for a while. I’ll try and make Cain’s apartment safe to go back to, anyway.”

Abel’s eyebrows raised at Marth’s words. He wasn’t exactly sure what job Marth held, and had never gotten a clear answer whenever he asked. Now, it seemed as if he had some sort of power within the city, and was too casual about it for Abel to ask any questions. “Well… thank you,” he managed to say.

The navy-haired male shrugged nonchalantly, and the awkward silence filled the air again. Finally, he breathed a small sigh, turning to face Abel, surprisingly showing emotion on his face; Abel recognized it as concern. “Look... Nico is unpredictable. He’s unstable and he’s _dangerous_. I don’t know what he’s going to do. Just try and stay safe.” When he saw Abel’s nod, he blinked, his expression regaining its natural stoic state. “Let Cain rest. He’ll probably be fine in a couple weeks. There’s nothing we can do.”

Abel hated hearing that; he hated being helpless, and he clenched his hands into fists. “So I just wait?” His words were slightly bitter as he watched Marth start to walk away, the latter finally deciding to leave.

Marth only nodded in response, the motion working to build Abel’s frustration. As if sensing this, the navy-haired man glanced over his shoulder. To Abel’s surprise, he had a small smile on his face. “This is usually something I’d say to Cain, but… Don’t do anything stupid.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Just in case the story was getting a bit too serious… Also, Pegasus sister fun!**

* * *

 

The weeks dragged by as Cain slowly but steadily recovered. Abel visited him nearly every day, checking up on him often. His wound had gotten infected, slowing down the process, but luckily it was caught and treated early on. As the cold days melted into warmer ones, the redhead was finally allowed to return to his home. The psychical therapy he had to endure was practically torture; even so, he would likely admit to having complained about it more than necessary, and Abel would exasperatingly agree. Still, it worked, and soon he was up and moving like normal again. When the first day of spring rolled around, the only evidence that the incident had even happened was the scar on Cain’s abdomen.

Spring was Abel’s favorite season, and to celebrate the beginning of it, he insisted on taking Cain out to the park. The latter had no oppositions to this; he liked the warm weather as well.

They walked along the edge of the public area slowly. Even though it was a nice day, it wasn’t too crowded, and the majority of the visitors were on the large green lawn in the middle of the park; they had the outside path almost to themselves.

Abel had been enjoying the breeze, casting a glance over towards the fountain in the middle of the park. He was about to make a comment to Cain when he noticed that the other was gone. He looked around for his missing partner for a moment, his handsome face twisted slightly in confusion. He could have sworn Cain was right behind him—

“Abel! Quick, grab my hand!” The redhead’s voice was… above him? When Abel glanced up, he saw Cain hovering high up in the air, sitting on a tree branch. He was positioned dangerously in order to reach his arm down to Abel.

“Cain, get down from there before you hurt yourself.”

“No way. I’m not going down until that thing is gone.”

Abel suddenly recognized the look of panic on Cain’s face, and he couldn’t help but laugh, realizing what the source of the other’s discomfort was. “It’s just a duck, isn’t it? Calm down, it won’t hurt you.” No sooner than the words were out of his mouth, did he hear a quiet slapping noise behind him, like webbed feet walking on concrete; in fact, that’s exactly what it was. Just as he turned around, the slapping got louder as the feet began to rapidly move, heading straight for the tree where the terrified Cain had stationed himself.

“ ** _HOOOOONK_**!”

* * *

 

“Unbelievable.” Abel rubbed his temple as he leaned against the tree, his feet dangling in the air as he sat on the branch that was parallel to Cain’s on the other side of the trunk. Below him, a goose was circling the tree, occasionally letting out low but menacing honks.

“Not a duck. A goose. There’s a difference.” Cain pouted, still holding on to the trunk of the tree. “A _deadly_ difference.”

“Deadly?” Abel echoed sarcastically. With a roll of his bright green eyes, he glanced downwards. The goose had disappeared, and instead, he was staring down into the bemused face of Marth.

“What are you two doing?”

Cain glanced down as well, his eyes widening in surprise. “Marth! Quick, get help, before it comes back!”

“What are you talking about?” It was obvious that Marth was amused by Cain’s distraught look and Abel’s exasperated expression.

“There’s a goose wandering around and Cain’s scared.”

“And yet we’re _both_ in a tree, tough guy.” Cain’s face still had evidence of a pout.

“A goose? Just one?” As if on cue, the wet slapping of webbed feet sounded once more. Marth glanced over his shoulder to see the source of Cain and Abel’s situation, and then turned around to face it. He smirked, letting out a short chuckle. “Come and get me, you overgrown duck.”

 _Slap slap slap slap_. “ ** _HOOOOOONK_**!”

* * *

 

“No one can know about this.”

Marth’s tone of voice left no room for argument as he settled on the tree branch above Cain’s. He and his partner murmured their agreement.

“Cain? Is that you?”

It seemed that their tree was an especially popular location; the redhead jumped at a sudden and dreadfully familiar voice. Glancing down, hoping his ears were deceiving him, he could only offer a weak smile as and a small wave down towards the blue-haired woman who was shielding her eyes from the sun in order to see up in the tree.

Abel was the first to hop down from the tree, not because of Catria, but because of the green-haired woman who stood just behind her. He offered a friendly and slightly embarrassed greeting to Palla. Cain reluctantly slid down from the branch he was on, clutching onto the tree as he clumsily made his way down. Marth followed, jumping down directly and landing nimbly on his feet.

“I haven’t seen you since—oh, _hello_.” Catria’s tone suddenly changed as she laid eyes on Marth. “Cain, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“Huh? Oh, this is Marth. Marth, this is Catria.” He quickly acquainted the two.

“Charmed.” Marth smiled, making the terrible mistake of engaging Catria in conversation, despite Cain’s warning looks. It wasn’t long before Catria was swooning over Marth; the latter was uncomfortably backing away, and Catria paced him, matching every backwards step with a forwards one.

With an exasperated sigh, Cain stepped in, tapping her on the shoulder and drawing her attention away from Marth long enough for him to quickly excuse himself and speed-walk away. It was then that Catria turned on Cain, eager to tell him about every waking moment that had passed between the last time she had seen him.

While Cain was busy listening to Catria’s life story, Abel had his attention on Palla, exchanging pleasantries and making friendly conversation.

“Where’s Est?” Abel had noticed that the youngest had not accompanied her two sisters.

Palla only offered an exasperated sigh and a shrug. “Who knows? It’s impossible to keep an eye on that girl.”

Abel laughed in agreement; he’d known the pink-haired girl for a while, and she had harbored quite the crush on him, but his need for stability contradicted her spontaneous lifestyle, and she quickly moved on. Palla, however… Palla was more serious, standing tall and elegant, but whether that was of her own personality or because she had been forced early to be the mother-figure to her sisters, Abel couldn’t say.

“It was good to see you, Palla.” Abel gave her a short-lived hug as a goodbye, quickly turning to go rescue Cain from his chatterbox partner.

Palla stared after him a moment, watching him go. She had always listened to Est’s rambles about him, and dared not to ruin her younger sister’s fun with her own desires, but even now she couldn’t help but feel a bit of sadness as he left. The smile that she saw him give Cain made her heart float and her stomach drop at the same time; she couldn’t quell her feeling of longing, wishing that smile was for her, but at the same time she wanted him to be happy, and that was clearly already the case.

“Did you _see_ Cain’s friend? Gods, what a _hottie_!” Catria’s voice brought Palla out of her thoughts, and she jumped at the presence of her sister beside her.

“Hm? Oh, Marth?” Palla gave her sister an amused smile, trying to push aside her wandering thoughts.

“ _Definitely_ boyfriend material.” Catria was dramatically fanning herself.

This caused Palla to laugh. “Honestly, you’re as bad as Est. Come on, it’s getting late. Let’s head home.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

The air was crisp and cool as Cain hurried along on a chilly mid-spring night. He felt uncomfortable being out so late alone; the sound of his footsteps hitting the pavement sounded too loud to his ears. The only light to see by was the dim and flickering streetlamps, which caused more harm than good, casting long shadows over the empty streets. Cain walked alone, as the streets were deserted; anyone with half a brain was already safely home for the night. His feet were sore from a particularly long shift at the diner where he worked, and he was looking forward to getting home.

The pain caused by the closed wound in his abdomen was nothing more than a dull throb that hit him at the worst of times, and a scowl wormed its way onto his face as he felt the familiar twinge in his side. He tenderly placed a hand on his stomach, absentmindedly feeling around for the scar underneath his clothes; there it was, still foreign to his skin, and he was beginning to wonder if he’d ever get used to it. He didn’t really like to think about it.

The emptiness of the street was making Cain feel uneasy, and as a stray cat yowled from across the street, he jumped slightly in surprise, glancing over in that direction but not stopping to investigate. Distracted by the noise while turning the corner, he bumped into a large stranger. “Oh, sorry—shit.” The curse was as monotone as the half-hearted apology. Surprise was evident on his face for only a moment before he subdued the shown emotion and stared up into the beady brown orbs of the person who wasn’t actually a stranger at all.

The tall, bulky figure of Nico stood barely a foot away, but Cain stood his ground, keeping watch behind him this time to make sure that he didn’t get boxed in again. It appeared his foe was alone this time, and Cain found his heartbeat quickening; he was dying to shove his fist into the larger man’s face, but he held his temper by a strand. The only satisfaction he found was in the disbelief that flickered in the raven haired man’s eyes for a quick moment. It was clear he hadn’t been expecting the redhead to survive his last assault.

“I see you’re still breathing,” Nico growled. “Why is that, Cain?” The way he spat out the redhead’s name with such venom almost made Cain flinch. The taller man gave Cain a harsh shove, quickly taking a few steps forward and backing him against the wall, pinning him back. Nico’s fingers dug into Cain's shoulders, keeping a tight grasp.

“Back off,” Cain challenged with a defiant glare. He grabbed the wrists of the hands that were on his shoulders and yanked them off of him, his eyes narrowing angrily. He wasn’t frightened; he could beat Nico in a fight as long as it was one against one. He found himself almost wishing for a chance to start something, but he wouldn’t instigate it himself; staying out of fights was something he had promised Abel… although he couldn’t help but defend himself if Nico decided to start one.

To the redhead’s surprise, and slight disappointment, Nico didn’t retaliate violently. In fact, he didn’t retaliate at all. The uneasy feeling churning in Cain’s gut only grew as the raven-haired man’s disturbing sneer began to worm its way back onto his face. “Hmph. I don’t need you anymore.”

“You never did,” Cain muttered bitterly, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. ~~~~

There was amusement in Nico’s warped smile at Cain’s misunderstanding of what he had meant. “To get what I want… I don’t need _you_.” At that, he turned, not even bothering to give a glance over his shoulder to see Cain’s reaction before he began to briskly walk away.

Cain watched him go, stunned still in confusion. Nico hadn’t gotten far before the realization hit Cain like a smack in the face. The raven-haired man was no longer interested in getting what he wanted directly; he’d picked a new target, someone who wouldn’t know what was coming, someone who Cain had been so desperately trying to protect…

“You—!” Cain sprinted forward in a panic, his arm outstretched to grab Nico before he could get any further. The latter had been expecting this, and stepped aside before Cain could reach him. The surprised redhead whirled around just in time for his opponent to nail him in the side of his jaw with a punch hard enough to make him see stars.

“Stay out of my way,” Nico snarled. Cain had no time to recover or respond before another hard punch to the side of his face sent him sprawling to the ground. His head knocked against the side of the brick building as he went, and his vision went blurry. Looking up, he saw Nico’s dark, fuzzy shape getting smaller and smaller. He weakly reached up with his hand, but his efforts were in vain, and it wasn’t long before his consciousness left him.

* * *

 

It was before dawn that Abel decided to get up on a chilly mid-spring morning. The sky was still dark as he exited his apartment, slipping his jacket over his shoulders to ward off the slight chill that hung in the air. Although it was spring, the mornings were still cold, and small puffs came from his lips as his hot breath hit the cold morning air; the stinging feeling of his cheeks was refreshing. He often awakened this early, enjoying the solitude of the town that always turned so busy once the sun started to make its ascent above the horizon.

He had no clear destination, and he allowed his mind to wander as he leisurely strolled along the paved path beside the streets, and soon found himself thinking of Cain. A small smile unconsciously appeared on his face as he pictured his red-haired partner. He’d often tried to get the other to join him on these morning walks, but the redhead found as much beauty in his pillow as Abel did in the sunrise. The thought alone made him laugh to himself.

As he came to the edge of the large park located in the center of the city, he slowed his pace, and eventually came to a stop. A sense of uneasiness had crept up on him; it was an unusual feeling. Glancing over his shoulder, he was greeted with nothing but empty air. He waited a moment, surveying the area, but still nothing out of the ordinary appeared. With a small shrug, he continued to walk, but couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. When a nearby bird made a shrill call, he jumped, shaken up for a moment at the sudden noise. Suddenly he was unsure whether or not his shivers were only from the cold.

He did his best to ignore the feeling, telling himself he was being paranoid; after all, there was no one out there with him. A bit of nervous laughter came from his lips as Abel continued on his way, walking along the edge of the park that he seemed to have spent a lot of time in since he met Cain. As always, it was deserted except for him; no early-morning walkers joined him as he slowly followed the trail. He wrapped his scarf just a bit tighter around his neck, small puffs of frozen air bursting from his lips every time he let out a breath.

* * *

 

Sunlight streaming into his eyes was what was awoke Cain, and he blinked several times; the white spots slowly faded, and he was able to see clearly, but his drowsiness kept his eyes half-closed. His body was sore as if he had slept wrong, and a terrible headache plagued him. After a few more moments of confusion, he shifted, and noticed that the surface beneath him wasn’t that of his soft bed, but of hard concrete. His auburn eyes flew open with realization, and he struggled to climb to his feet, stiff and off balance. The still-empty street was considerably lighter, the sun poking over the horizon; he must have been out for a while. Rubbing his head, he groaned quietly in pain, trying to figure out why he had woken up on the street instead of his apartment. It wasn’t a new experience for him, but certainly one he hadn’t had in quite a few years.

His first thought was to call Abel, and the name of his partner seemed to trigger the memories of the events that had unfolded the night before. A soft gasp flew from his mouth; while he had been unconscious on the street, anything could have happened to the unsuspecting green-haired man! The threats that Nico had spoken were burned into his mind, but he controlled the panic that threatened to bubble over. He doubted Nico would try anything in Abel’s apartment directly—too much security to risk it— but that didn’t mean he was safe.

Cain knew that Abel liked to go out early in the mornings. If Nico had been watching him like he had threatened, he knew that too. Struggling to keep his cool, and beginning to fail, he started to sprint towards where he thought Abel might be. The redhead whipped out his cell phone, dialing Abel’s number as fast as he could; trying to press the buttons while running, he messed up twice before finally getting the digits entered correctly. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before there was a soft clicking noise, and then he heard Abel’s innocent voice.

* * *

 

Abel had been walking along a smoothly paved path for a few minutes when he decided to stop on one of the many benches that the park offered, taking the opportunity to watch the glowing yellow orb climb up the horizon. Crossing his legs and settling back, he let out another frozen breath, relishing in the peacefulness. It was sudden for his phone to begin ringing, and he frowned, wondering why he had even brought it with him; the frown was gone when he checked the ID, and then he was happy to answer the vibrating device.

“Cain? You’re up early,” he commented, keeping his gaze on the rising sun. It cast a long shadow behind him that he couldn’t see; if he’d turned around, he would noticed that his was not the only one.

“ _Abel!!_ ” He wasn’t expecting his name to be called so frantically or so loudly, and he held the phone away from his ear for a moment.

“What? What’s wrong?” Abel uncrossed his legs and leaned forward as he sat on the edge of the bench, brow furrowed in immediate concern.

“ _You have to— get inside, he’s—”_ It was obvious from Cain’s panting and frequent pauses that he was running while he tried to talk.

“Who—?” The realization hit Abel too late. He stood quickly, but he hadn’t taken three steps before he felt a pair of hands grab at him from behind; one around his abdomen and the other around his neck. Dropping the phone in surprise, he pried at the hand around his neck, squirming and struggling with all his might to free himself from his attacker.

The rough, calloused hands didn’t relent despite Abel’s protesting. He had tried to use the point of his elbow to attack the person holding him, but the heavy-set man seemed unaffected by Abel’s attempts. The hand that was on his neck disappeared for a moment, and he opened his mouth to shout, but before he could get a word out, a soaking wet rag was shoved into his face, covering his mouth and nose. He gagged from the sickly sweet smell that flooded into his nostrils, cutting off his access to fresh air. Forced to breath in the carcinogen, he kicked his leg back in one last effort to break free, nailing the large man behind him in the calf, but once again he wasn’t in a position to do any real damage.

His vision began to swim as the chloroform started to take effect, and the sickeningly sweet scent almost made him vomit. A harsh pounding started in his temple, and the sound of his own breathing was suddenly too loud and extremely distorted. He continued to struggle, but he was getting weaker by the second, and his grip on the meaty arm of his attacker started to fail. _Cain… Cain!_ He wanted to yell, and in his mind he was screaming his partner’s name, but the rag blocked all air and he didn’t have enough to even breathe, much less shout.

He struggled for what seemed like an eternity before he could finally take no more, blackness pricking at the edge of his vision. Panic flared in him as he realized he wasn’t going to escape, but soon even that feeling faded into the foggy mess of his mind, and his knees buckled as darkness overwhelmed him.

* * *

 

“Abel? Abel!” Cain shouted into the phone, but received no response except for the faint sounds of rustling and grunting. He cursed out loud; he’d been too late in warning the other, and now he feared tremendously for his partner’s life.

He was out of breath from running, but he kept going until he stumbled forward, caught off-guard by a sudden searing heat that ripped through his abdomen. He dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach with both hands, unable to stop a loud groan of pain. The running and irregular breathing while trying to speak had irritated his still-sensitive spot, and he grit his teeth; there were bigger things he had to worry about right now than his wound, and yet it was a few more moments before he could even stand.

Staggering forward as he tried to run, he soon realized that wouldn’t be possible, and he slowly limped along, having to use the wall for support. His slow progress was made worse by the fact that he knew every second counted; Abel was in danger, and he had to reach him. He had an idea of where Nico would have taken him; near the end of his time with them, the gang had discovered an abandoned construction lot that contained a half-built building that had never progressed past solid concrete.

Grunting from effort as he moved, he felt the pain beginning to ebb, and suddenly a terrifying thought slipped into his mind. He had assumed that Nico had taken Abel, and was probably pressing him for information, but that might not be the case. The raven-haired brute had been very impatient when trying to force answers out of Cain, and there was no telling what he would do to Abel.

Nico wouldn’t kill someone he wanted answers from… would he?


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

When Abel’s clouded green eyes opened, all he saw above him was dark grey concrete. This was strange, but in his disoriented state, he couldn’t process why. His head hurt terribly, and his throat felt sore and raw; it was painful to make a small noise as he forced himself to sit up. The ground beneath him looked just like the ceiling, and had laying on it had made his body sore. There wasn’t much else in the room; a small window in the corner, and a bare wooden table with a single chair. Not even a bed was present. The room reminded Abel of a jail cell, but it was much too large and barren for that to be the case.

Staggering as he tried to stand, he almost fell, but held out a hand to catch himself before he crashed into the wall. Slowly, he made his way over to the chair, letting out a breath of effort as he sat. It was uncomfortable, but it was better than sitting on the hard concrete floor. Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he saw that it was roughly either 3AM or PM; from the small light that was peeking in through the small window, he supposed it must have been the afternoon. In the dull gray cell, it was hard to imagine that just outside was a bright spring day.

After judging his surroundings, he moved on to the next problem—why was he there? Abel’s head was slowly clearing, his thoughts less foggy. He struggled to remember the events of the night before—nothing strange there, he thought. Whatever happened to him must have taken place that morning, when he was outside. After focusing on that thought for a moment, he faintly remembered taking his usual morning walk, and having an extremely unusual experience.

He hadn’t been bound or gagged; after such an incident, he found himself rather confused at having full control of his body. The attack had probably been provoked, rather than planned, and he figured that he’d been thrown into this room at the last minute for lack of a better place. After remembering Cain’s confession in the hospital, Abel knew that there could be only one person who would do such a thing to him. The motive was unknown to him, but at the moment, his main priority was finding a way out. He had the advantage in the fact that the one who had attacked him didn’t think him as much of a threat. Abel had been idly doing nothing for too long; it was time to take matters into his own hands.

Just as he had been looking around the barren room for something to break the door with, or perhaps something that could be used to pick the lock, he heard footsteps approaching. A small gasp was the only noise that escaped him before he silenced himself; this was his chance!

The green-haired man pressed his back against the wall just next to the door. It opened slowly with a loud creaking noise, and a skinny stranger walked in, not even glancing to the side before entering the middle of the room. He looked around in confusion for a moment, no doubt wondering where his captive had gone, and that’s when Abel made his move. Quickly, he slid through the open doorway, reaching to grab the handle of the door and slam it shut; with that smooth motion, the captor had become the captive. The man pounded on the heavy door, demanding to be let out. Abel had no intention of waiting around until his captor remembered that he had keys.

Abel’s plan had relied on there only being one man, and it seemed as though luck was not with him. As soon as he turned, he was faced with another stranger; this one was more heavyset than the first, and larger than Abel. Anger was clear on his face, and he lashed out, intending to connect his fist with whatever part of Abel’s body he could hit. The green-haired man swiftly dodged, and the stranger staggered forward, off balance; clearly, he was used to his opponents being slow and stocky.

Abel could have won that fight, but he didn’t have time to. He sprinted down the long hallway, looking for any kind of exit. If he could make it outside, he would be safe; he could outrun any of these bulky men. The only problem was that he had no idea where he was, or where to go if he could even make it outside.

Even with those thoughts in mind, he continued to run, stopping only when he was gasping for air, and far enough away from the last stranger to deem himself safe. After a few moments he caught his breath, and almost started to sprint again, but was stopped by an echoed voice that reached his ears from around the corner. Abel straightened up and pressed his back against the wall, holding his breath. Once whoever was around the corner reached the end of the hallway, they had two ways to go; the way Abel was hiding, and another long, empty hallway. The green-haired man silently prayed, but his heart dropped in his stomach as he realized he was hearing more than one set of footsteps.

As he predicted, the two muscular strangers turned his way. Curse his luck! One of them yelled in surprise, and the other reached out to grab Abel; he swiftly ducked under the man’s outstretched arms, not waiting around to fight. He took off running again, weaving through the maze-like halls, frustratingly wondering how large the building was; it was just his luck that he hadn’t run into any exits. The yelling behind him faded, and his attackers had either chosen not to pursue him or lost him in the halls; he didn’t care which, he was only relieved they weren’t right behind him.

Their voices had brought another concern to Abel’s mind, however; he’d been seen by a multitude of people now, and it was only a matter of time before they starting coming in larger and larger groups. He couldn’t possibly outrun them all, especially if they boxed him in in this foreign building. He’d have to take on a different method if he hoped to get out of here alive.

His footsteps were much quieter as he slightly crouched, staying close to the wall. It was dark in the halls, the walls matching the same concrete look of the room that he had been held in. He used this to his advantage, staying in the shadows. He snuck through the halls like a panther stalking its prey, moving swiftly and silently to avoid any more confrontations.

He couldn’t see very far down the hallway, and wondered how these people could possibly be so comfortable walking around in the dim and nearly nonexistent light. Hearing footsteps again, Abel stopped short, pressing his back against the wall of the hallway as if it would hide him.

The approaching shadow belonged to a monster of a man, and he walked with an arrogant swagger that made Abel’s stomach drop. The man was huge; if he was forced to fight the large man, he’d have to be careful to keep those large fists from crushing him. The two men behind him—neither were nearly as large—followed behind the first like dogs would follow their master.

In the empty stretch of hall, Abel had nowhere to hide. His gaze locked with the stranger’s unforgiving beady eyes, and never in all his life had he felt such fear. With as large as he was, Abel had underestimated his speed, and he yelled in shock as the attacker lunged forward and seized his arm in a tight grip.

“Let go of me!” Abel’s demanding tone was as useless as his attempts to wrench free. He could tell from the rough hands that this was probably the same person who grabbed him the first time; if that were the case, fighting would be in vain.

The stranger seized Abel’s other arm, violently yanking it behind the green-haired man’s back. Abel cried out in pain as he felt tightness in the muscle, and then grunted as his chest was slammed into the hard concrete wall, the side of his face pressed against the cold surface as he was held there.

“Where do you think you’re going, pretty boy?” The low hiss was right next to his ear, and Abel felt a shiver run down his spine. Still, he defiantly tried to fight back, throwing his weight backwards, but the heavy pressure holding him against the wall didn’t relent.

Abel struggled for another moment before he was yanked backwards, his green eyes flying open in surprise. The freedom only lasted a moment before he met face-first with the wall again; this time his head didn’t avoid contact, and stars danced in front of his eyes as his knees went weak.

* * *

 

Abel’s eyes fluttered open again, and he was once again staring at a concrete floor. He groaned, sitting up, blinking himself awake. “Again…?” He grumbled to himself. It wasn’t until he reached to rub his aching temple that he realized his hands were bound.

He looked down at his wrists dumbly for a moment before he processed the fact that they were tied together with a thick rope. It was then that he raised his head, looking around at his surroundings, his eyes narrowing in confusion. This room, if it could be called that, was surrounded by half-built concrete walls. Pieces of scrap metal were everywhere, construction materials from a building that had never progressed past the outer shell. Piles of junk blocked his view of parts of the area, miscellaneous parts of wiring and metal plates scattered among cracked and crumbled cement.

It was hard to tell what was what among the stacks of materials, but what mattered to Abel was what—or rather, _who_ —he couldn’t see. There was no sign of the black-haired stranger who had attacked him; by now, he’d figured out that the beast must have been Nico, the man Cain had talked about.

For now, it seemed Abel was alone. He struggled against the rope for a minute, but the knot was tight and wouldn’t budge; all he was doing was making his wrists raw. He glanced around for something he could use to free himself, and spotted a sharp piece of metal sticking out of the junk pile to his left. Leaning over, he aligned the point of the metal with the center of his wrists, slowly and carefully moving up and down to rub the point of the scrap against the fiber. He could feel it weakening, and it only took another minute for the rope to snap completely.

Abel started to stand up slowly, rubbing his sore wrists. Glancing over the top of a scrap pile, he gasped softly, and then dropped back down to the ground. He dared to glance around the pile, taking another look; just past the stack of materials was Nico, sitting on a crate. He wasn’t facing Abel, and his head was down as if he was sleeping. Abel bit down on his lip in confliction. If Nico was asleep, he could get out of here within minutes. If he wasn’t… Abel didn’t want to think of the possibilities.

Peeking from behind the pile, Abel realized that making a run for it wasn’t a risk he could take as he eyed the loosely-held object in the raven-haired man’s hands. Abel wasn’t an expert on guns, but he could recognize one when he saw it. Swallowing hard, thinking about his options, his heart sunk when he realized he didn’t exactly have any.

Anything was better than waiting; any minute now, he was sure Nico would find him awake, and then… what? Abel didn’t know what he expected. It finally dawned on him; Nico wasn’t exactly interested in him at all. He was just a third party, a medium between his lover and his enemy.

More than that, though, he was being used as _bait_.

No doubt that Cain would come looking for him, running into the mess of metal and crumbled concrete. The gun Nico was holding wasn’t for him; it was for Cain. This infuriated Abel, and he clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay silent. They’d been so happy, Cain had moved on, but the one tie he couldn’t sever kept pulling him back into the past and ruining him. And over what? The shell of a gun, a useless memento? It didn’t make sense to Abel.

He shook his head, clearing it. It didn’t matter if it made sense to him or not; he had to do _something_ , and he was running out of time. He glanced around for anything he could use, and his gaze settled back on the same sharp piece of metal he’d cut the rope on. Carefully, he tried to pull the piece out from the stack it rested in; it was shorter than he expected, and came out easily. If he held the opposite end carefully enough, he could use it as a knife—a small, crude knife, but it was better than nothing.

Abel held the weapon close to his chest, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself and keep his hands from shaking. When he peeked around from his cover again, Nico hadn’t moved, still sitting with his neck bent and head down. Abel’s forest green eyes narrowed; if he could get close enough, he could take advantage of Nico’s exposed neck. With such a small weapon it probably wouldn’t prove to be fatal, but it might buy him enough time to make a break for it.

With incredible stealth, Abel moved as quietly as a panther; if he waited any longer, he might lose his chance. He carefully avoided the giant metal plates and sharp shards, keeping silent as he snuck up behind the sleeping giant. If his heartbeat was as loud as it was in his head, he surely would have been caught.

After what felt like a lifetime, Abel was only inches away from Nico’s massive form. He raised the hand that held the knife, his eyes locked on his target, but his hand never made it down to his target. With incredible speed, Nico’s slumped body turned, and he seized Abel’s wrist in a grip so tight that he dropped the knife in pain. Shocked by Nico’s quick movements, Abel’s stomach twisted as he saw the knowing sneer spreading below the other man’s hooked nose. Nico had been planning on Abel making such a move. He’d never had a chance.

Abel yelled for the raven-haired man to release him, as if his words would have any impact. His attacker did no such thing; instead of releasing him, Nico stood, towering over him both in height and build. He let go of Abel’s arm at the same time he grabbed the green-haired man’s neck in a tight chokehold, his meaty elbow and forearm squeezing his captive’s throat as he held the other close and rendering him immobile.

“Good timing, pretty boy.” The low, gravelly voice was much too close for comfort. Abel didn’t understand, but he was too scared to be confused at his attacker’s meaning; he defiantly continued to try and pull away, writhing in Nico’s unforgiving grasp. This struggling stopped, however, as he felt something cold press against his skin. Glancing down, he suddenly remembered the item his attacker had been holding earlier; a small, deadly weapon, and now the barrel of it was shoved into his side.

“Let him go!” The addition of a third voice came as a sudden surprise to him, and Abel’s scared expression turned into surprise as he saw Cain sprinting across the area towards him, weaving his way through the piles of metal and shrapnel that littered the area. He finally realized what Nico had meant by his timing, and his forest green eyes widened.

Abel wanted to yell, to cry out to Cain and warn him, but the arm around his throat was making it hard to breath, much less speak. All he could do was watch as Nico raised the gun, aimed at Cain, and fired.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Cain skidded to a halt, breathless from his long sprint. He snatched a large chunk of debris off the ground just as he heard the tremendous _bang_ of Nico’s pistol. He lifted the sheet of metal in front of him, kneeling down so it blocked his body; it shook in his hands as the bullet slammed into it and ricochet off, bouncing away into the mess. He waited for another, but it didn’t come; no doubt Nico was being more careful with his limited bullets this time. After a moment, he stood, still holding the makeshift shield in front of him, though he lowered it to show his face and clear his view so he could see the sight unfolding in front of him. Abel writing in Nico’s grasp made his stomach churn, but he kept his face devoid of panic.

“Nico!” Cain yelled, extending his arm to reveal what he had brought. “I have what you want.” Clutched tightly in his hand was the shell of Jackie’s gun, the only possession left that had belonged to the dead man. “Let him go.”

Nico looked at it dumbly for a moment, not loosening his grip on Abel. When he finally lifted his beady black eyes from the gun to look at the holder, the disturbing grin on his face sent chills down Cain’s spine. “You really think _that’s_ the reason I’m doing this?”

Cain’s breath caught in his throat, and for a moment he couldn’t speak. “I… I thought…” He glanced desperately at Abel, who was still struggling to breathe while locked in Nico’s hold. He’d expected Nico to drop the other once he saw the gun, but the raven-haired man seemed to be unfazed by the sight of it. His beady eyes seemed to be mocking Cain.

The taller man’s grin only widened—it was dark and without humor. The feeling of his captive wriggling in his grasp was annoying, and he tightened his grip enough to make Abel gasp out in pain. “You idiot,” he sneered at Cain. “I don’t want _that_. I want Jackie.”

“Jackie’s dead.” Cain’s tone was cold and flat. He was still trying to figure out why Nico seemed so uncaring about the late man’s last possession; it was all he could think of that the other could possibly want. Before he could decipher why, Nico spoke again, giving him the answer to his unspoken question.

“ _I_ was his favorite, the only one he trusted, until _you_ came along. He took you in, sheltered you, gave you attention that he once had only given me. I hated you. All that time, I hated you for taking him from me.” Nico’s bone-chilling voice was quiet, but the way his hand shook as he pressed the wobbling barrel of the gun against Abel’s forehead proved that he was just barely holding himself together. “You _stole_ him from me!” Nico repeated, raising his voice to a yell. “You killed him! He trusted you, and you killed him!”

“Your brother was a _murderer_!” Anger flashed across Cain’s face. He took a step towards Nico, but stopped when he saw the hand steadying that held the gun, and he forced himself to control his voice; another outburst might make Nico lose it. He had to keep the raven-haired man talking, until he could think of something, anything, to get Abel free.

“Jackie was everything to me.” Nico’s voice was starting to shake. “I’m not doing this over some useless scrap metal he left behind. I… I wanted to rip away your happiness the way you took mine.” His beady eyes flashed towards the helpless prisoner he held in an unyielding grip. “So I waited… and waited… until you had something valuable that I could take from you. Something… or _someone_ that could break you.”

“He’s not part of this,” Cain said heatedly, holding so tightly onto the piece of the gun he held that his knuckles were white. “Kill me if you want, but he’s done nothing to you. Let him go.”

The humorless laugh that came from Nico was a surprise, and Cain felt his heart sink. “I don’t care about _him_.” As he spat the last word, he his arm tighter around Abel’s neck. A pained expression showed on the green-haired man’s face, though he had no air left in his lungs to gasp. “I want you to pay for what you did—I want you to _suffer_. I want you to feel the same pain I did when you took Jackie away from me. It seems a fair trade, doesn’t it?” His gravelly voice had calmed, and he took his dark eyes off of Cain to look at his prey. He was finished talking; he was ready to make Cain pay. “A life for a life.”

Nico’s readjusted his grip on the gun, lowering it from where he had it pointed at Cain, and changed his target. The cold, black barrel of the gun settled against Abel’s temple. If the green-haired man could have made a noise, it would have only been one of defiance; even in his last moments, he tried to fight off his assailant, his bright green eyes full of desperation as he stared at Cain’s panicked face.

Nico wasn’t impressed by his captive’s squirming, and he started to lift his dark gaze back towards Cain—he wanted to see the look on the other’s face while he took Abel’s life. He turned his head just in time to be met square in the face with the shell of the gun the redhead had just hurled towards him while he’d looked away; a disgusting crack sounded loudly as his nose broke from the impact. Nico yelled in pain and surprise, and his weapon clattered to the ground as he staggered a step backwards.

Abel didn’t waste a second, immediately attempting to wrench away while Nico’s grip was loosened. The raven-haired man didn’t try to hold on—rather, the opposite. He shoved Abel away from him, holding on to his bleeding nose with his other hand. The force of the shove caused Abel to lose his balance, and the excitement of his newfound freedom was short-lived. He fell backwards, tripping over the clutter of metal and wires. The landing wasn’t soft; the pile of shattered concrete he’d fallen into was home to hidden pieces of broken metal sheets. A pointed piece of shrapnel buried itself into Abel’s left shoulder blade, and he cried out from the sudden pain. Still dazed from his previous lack of air and the pain from the fall, he watched with blurry vision as Nico blundered towards him, screaming threats and obscenities. His vision of his attacker was blocked, however, by Cain stepping in front of him, dividing the distance between the two.

“Stay away from him,” Cain threatened, his auburn gaze narrowing as he glared at Nico. He only had his fists for a weapon, and he raised them, preparing to lash out if Nico got any closer. The raven-haired man was bleeding from his nose and forehead from the impact, and he’d dropped his own weapon; it’d gotten lost along the clutter on the ground. This didn’t stop him from lurching forward towards Cain, his arms outstretched to grab the other.

Cain didn’t wait for Nico to get any closer; he lifted his powerful leg and rammed his heel into his attacker’s gut, causing the raven-haired man to lose his breath for a moment. A moment was all Cain needed, and he threw his right arm out in a punch; he could feel his knuckles cracking as they collided with Nico’s jaw. Nico staggered and lost his balance, falling forward on all fours. He coughed twice, and then spat out a hunk of blood and a yellowed tooth onto the ground.

Cain started to take a step backwards, avoiding the mess, but Nico’s large hand reached out and seized his ankle; the raven-haired man yanked forward harshly, pulling the redhead’s foot out from under him. He lost his balance, his arms waving as he tried in vain to steady himself; he fell backwards and landed hard. Before he could stand, Nico had his knee pressed into his chest, pinning him to the ground.

The hand that had grabbed him was soon wrapped around his neck, squeezing tightly; Cain clawed at Nico’s arms, but he couldn’t pry the other off. While he struggled mightily, he saw something shimmer in his peripheral. He’d been knocked dangerously close to a pile of scrap metal—he was lucky enough to have avoided landing on it. He reached for the shimmering object, yanking the piece of metal out of the pile. It cut his hand when he grabbed it, but he didn’t feel it. He thrust his arm upwards at an angle, slicing the sharp blade deep through Nico’s cheek, missing his beady eye by a mere inch.

Nico howled in pain, letting go of his victim and throwing himself backwards to scramble away, staggering to his feet. He pressed a hand to the side of his face; blood poured over his fingers from the wound. The dried blood from his mangled nose was like a crust on his face, and a loud whistling nose could be heard every time he heaved out a breath.

Cain was on feet within seconds, and he stepped towards Nico; he thrust the metal forward, attempting to connect the end of the sharp blade with Nico’s skin while the other was distracted, but the raven-haired man saw it coming despite his previous wound. He narrowly dodged, and reached out, his meaty fingers wrapping around Cain’s wrist. He squeezed hard, tight enough for Cain to cry out in pain and drop his weapon.

With his free hand, Cain lashed out, connecting his fist with Nico’s jaw; his assailant grunted and his grip loosened, allowing Cain to yank his wrist free. He took a few steps backwards but managed to regain his balance without falling. Nico did the same, steadying himself by holding his arm out and bracing himself against a sturdy stack of concrete slabs.

Cain took advantage of the momentary pause to glance over his shoulder, checking where Abel was. The green-haired man was twisting on the ground, like he was trying to free himself from something; it was then that Cain noticed the piece of shrapnel that jutted out of Abel’s shoulder. His fists clenched in anger, and he turned back towards his enemy—but it was too late. He’d made the mistake of looking away, and Nico had lumbered towards him; the raven-haired man’s arm lashed out, and in his clutches was a rusted hollow pipe. He swung it mercilessly towards Cain’s head, grunting loudly with effort.

The redhead hadn’t seen Nico grab the pipe, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw it coming fast towards him. He wasn’t quick enough to dodge it, and the thick piece of metal collided with the side of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground with a pained cry. His vision went blurry, and he could feel blood starting to drip down his face from the direct hit.

Stunned immobile, Cain raised a hand to his head, feeling the sticky wetness covering his fingers from the wound. His head throbbed painfully and he couldn’t think straight—he couldn’t move as Nico pinned him down with a knee to his chest. With blurry vision, he could see the other’s wide sneer, and a glint of something silver—something sharp. A long, ridged screw was gripped tightly in the raven-haired man’s hand, raised high and poised to strike.

Cain couldn’t breathe. He was going to lose against Nico again, and this time, the other was going to kill him. His auburn eyes went wide as his chest flared with panic, and he struggled with what strength he could muster, but Nico’s weight was crushing him, and he couldn’t free himself. He couldn’t move, the raven-haired man was grinning down at him and he couldn’t move, he couldn’t save himself and he couldn’t save Abel, he couldn’t move, and he was going to die and then Abel was going to die and he was so scared and he couldn’t move and this terrifying feeling was so familiar but this time he—

_Bang!_

The sudden, thunderous sound made Cain’s heart stop. As he struggled to breathe, he opened his eyes again; through reddened vision, he could still see Nico, but the sneer had been replaced with a surprise, the raven-haired man’s mouth hanging open. The screw dropped from his hand, falling onto the ground next to Cain and bouncing away. “U-uh…” Nico made a noise like a groan. He started to tilt, falling to the side off of Cain. He hit the ground with a thud, spilling a puddle of blood around him from the fresh hole in his chest. The redhead’s chest rose and fell sporadically, and he managed to make himself sit up once the weight on him was freed. He’d watched as Nico fell, lying forever motionless on the ground, but now he looked towards the source of the noise, and his own mouth fell open in shock.

At the end of Abel’s outstretched arm was the gun Nico had dropped; smoke trickled out of the barrel and into the air from the sudden firing. Blood stained his clothes from where it seeped out of his shoulder; he’d ripped the shrapnel out to free himself. The hand holding the gun had been steady, but now it trembled as Abel’s stoic face began to waver. He dropped the weapon, letting it clatter onto the floor away from him. He barely managed to make it to Cain’s side before he dropped to his knees, all of his emotions coming forth at once; his fear, his panic, his pain, all expelled themselves in the tears that ran down his cheeks, making streaks in the dirt and blood that covered his face. He threw his arms around Cain, holding the stunned redhead close.

Slowly, Cain raised his own arms, embracing Abel with the strength he could muster. He couldn’t see Nico with his face buried in Abel’s shoulder, but he knew the other was just behind him—dead, gone, a bullet buried deep in his heart. When he’d raised the screw, the opening had been clear, and Abel had taken it. His shoulders began to shake, and he buried his face in Abel’s unwounded shoulder, being careful not to disturb the other one.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Cain was reluctant to part from his partner, but the shock from his wounds was starting to wear off, and his head throbbed terribly from the swollen and bloody spot. Abel helped him to his feet, but even the green-haired man was clutching at the gash in his shoulder, his face in a pained grimace. Neither of them had gotten out unscathed, but they’d survived… that was more than could be said for their attacker.

Cain looked down at the huge, unmoving body. He still couldn’t believe it—part of him expected to see the dead man’s cold hands reach for him. He couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the corpse, certain that Nico would start moving again if he looked away. He jumped in surprise as Abel touched his arm; the green-haired man’s touch seemed to have broken his entranced spell, and he breathed out a sigh, nodding his head in agreement to Abel’s whispered wish for them to leave.

There was nothing more for them here. Nico couldn’t hurt them again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

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Warm light flooded into the living room where Cain lay snoozing on the couch. The summer evening sun warmed his skin, and when the glowing orb moved out from behind the clouds, the light shined on his face to wake him from his lazy slumber. He blinked his auburn eyes a few times, yawning as he awakened. A familiar, comfortable weight was on his chest, and he was met with a face full of soft green hair when he glanced down. Abel was still asleep, using his chest as a pillow. Their legs were entangled together on the couch in Abel’s home—no, it was his home too, now. Cain smiled at this thought; it had been months since he’d moved in, but the magic of the place hadn’t faded.

Cain’s languorous eyes watched the sun disappear behind the clouds on its journey down the sky, tinting the white vapor different shades of red and orange like patterns of stained glass. Somehow, he couldn’t find beauty in the sight. The way the colors smeared through the clouds as the sun moved, so fluidly, that blood red color…

“Cain… Cain?” The redhead quite literally brought his head back down from the clouds, and turned his attention to the resting man on top of him who had started to stir. Abel stared at him with sleepy green eyes and a languid smile. “What are you thinking about?”

Cain looked at Abel’s drowsy face; the sun bathed his dark skin in a beautiful golden glow. He started to relax, not realizing that he’d tensed up. When he laid with Abel like this, the troubles they’d gone through seemed a million years in the past. Still, he had something on his mind, and he finally spoke his question. “Abel… Why did you choose to stay with me?”

“Somehow, I don’t think ‘your devilish good looks’ is the answer you’re looking for.”

Cain smiled at Abel’s words. “You’d be right.”

“Well, what can I say…? Maybe I bumped my head.” Abel smirked as he kept teasing Cain, lazily tracing his fingers along the redhead’s sharp jawline.

A blush heated up Cain’s pale cheeks as his partner mentioned how they’d met by Cain’s failed shot while fooling around in the park. It seemed so long ago; it was hard to imagine how he’d ever gotten on without Abel in his life. Even though it wasn’t the serious answer he wanted, the green-haired man’s words cheered him up. “Does love have anything to do with it?”

Abel laughed at the question, and he nodded. “I suppose I could sum it up into those three little words…” He leaned forward to give Cain a small kiss on the nose. “I love you more than anything.”

“That was more than three.” Cain grinned as Abel rolled his eyes playfully. “I love you too.” Cain reached his hand up to cup Abel’s cheek, holding it with a gentle hand.

Abel put his hand over his partner’s; Cain widened the space between his fingers so that Abel’s could entwine with his. The green-haired man looked down at Cain with a warm, affectionate gaze, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile.

“What are you thinking about?” Now it was Cain’s turn to ask the question of Abel, tilting his head to the side as his hand gently toyed with his partner’s soft green hair.

“I’m just thinking… Perhaps some of your luck has rubbed off on me.” Abel’s serene voice was quiet, and he slowly tuned to look back at Cain, smiling contently. “Not many people get to spend the rest of their life with their best friend.”

Cain felt a small blush rise to his cheeks, but the words made his heart flutter. “The rest of your life? Are you proposing to me?” Cain teased with a grin, leaning forward for a kiss.

“No way,” Abel laughed, meeting Cain’s lips with his for a few blissful moments. “That’s your job. Don’t forget, I’m a ring size eight."

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~The End! Thank you for reading!~


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